The son of Iran's late shah on Saturday hailed the reported killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying the Islamic republic that replaced his pro-Western father was finished.
"With his death, the Islamic Republic has effectively come to an end and will soon be consigned to the dustbin of history," Reza Pahlavi wrote on X.
He warned against appointing a successor and called on security forces to join in a transition.
"To the military, security and police forces -- any effort to prop up a collapsing regime is doomed to defeat," he said.
Pahlavi, who has presented himself as a transitional figure but does not enjoy support from all the opposition, called on Iranians to "stay vigilant" for now.
"The time for a massive and decisive presence in the streets is very near," he said.
"Together, united and steadfast, we will secure the final victory, and we will celebrate Iran's freedom across our homeland created by Ahura," he said, invoking Iran's pre-Islamic Zoroastrian heritage.
Pahlavi penned an opinion piece in The Washington Post in which he thanked President Donald Trump for the attack and again said that he was ready to lead a transition to a new Iran.
He made clear that it would only be a transitional role, after fears by some critics that he is seeking a return to an absolute monarchy.
"Many Iranians, often despite facing bullets, have called on me to lead this transition. I am in awe of their courage, and I have answered their call," he wrote.
"Our path forward will be transparent: a new constitution drafted and ratified by referendum, followed by free elections under international oversight. When Iranians vote, the transitional government dissolves."
Pahlavi said that all Iranian opposition figures agreed on key principles including a separation of religion and state following the Islamic republic.
He said that the opposition groups also backed the territorial integrity of Iran, which has large minority communities, and agreed on "individual liberties and equality of all citizens."
Source: AFP