'Iran will not 'automatically' fall after Khamenei's death': Farah Pahlavi

The death of Ali Khamenei is ‘historically significant’ but will not ‘automatically’ bring down Iran’s political system, Farah Pahlavi was quoted as saying to the news agency AFP on Tuesday (March 3). “The passing of a man, however central he may be to the architecture of power, does not automatically mean the end of a system,” said Pahlavi, who has lived in exile in Paris since being forced out during the 1979 revolution. “What will be decisive,” she said, was “the ability of the Iranian people to unite around a peaceful, orderly and sovereign transition to a state governed by the rule of law”, adding that her son Reza Pahlavi “is in the process of preparing”.

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Reza Pahlavi urges unity from ethnic minorities

Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, urged national unity among the country’s ethnic minorities on Tuesday as war spread across the Middle East. Positioning himself as an alternative should the Islamic republic collapse, the US-based figure sought to rally support across Iran’s diverse population. In a post on X, Pahlavi aimed to reassure minorities that they would not face discrimination under his leadership and appeared to caution against using the current regional conflict to push for separatism.

"We stand at the threshold of this regime's fall. Yet we must remain vigilant and prepared, and deny opportunistic forces, those who have long cast covetous eyes on Iran's soil, the chance to exploit this moment," he said. "You are an inseparable part of Iran's historical and cultural fabric... I am confident that you will remain steadfast in this covenant," he added. "I firmly believe that through national unity and shared resolve, a bright future awaits you and every Iranian."

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