Exiled Iranian leader Reza Pahlavi on Saturday praised the U.S.'s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and drew comparisons to his own countrymen who are taking to the streets in Tehran.
"My thoughts are with my friend María Corina Machado, President-elect @EdmundoGU, and the brave people of Venezuela who, like my own countrymen, have persevered through great hardship," Pahlavi said in a post on X.
"May Venezuelans' sacrifices soon be rewarded with the freedom and prosperity for which they have fought so valiantly.
"Together, a free Iran and a free Venezuela will bring peace and stability to our two people and the world," he added.
Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran, is the eldest son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and a leading figure in the Iranian opposition.
Living in the United States since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, he has positioned himself as a secular, pro-democracy advocate calling for the peaceful overthrow of Iran's clerical regime.
Pahlavi says he does not seek to restore the monarchy but argues he can help unite opposition forces and guide Iran toward a democratic transition.
Iran has faced over a week of protests initially fueled by economic anger after the rial plunged to new lows.
At least seven people have been killed in violence linked to the unrest, according to The Associated Press.
Iranian state media has described some gatherings as riots and has accused foreign powers of stirring unrest.
The United States captured Maduro and flew him out of the country in a stunning military operation early Saturday that plucked a sitting leader from office — the culmination of months of escalating Trump administration pressure on the oil-rich South American nation.
Maduro and his wife, taken overnight from their home on a military base, were aboard a U.S. warship on their way to New York, where they were to face criminal charges.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. planned to run Venezuela until a transition of power can take place. He claimed the American presence was already in place, though there were no immediate signs that the U.S. was running the country.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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