Iranian Crown Prince in a special interview with Israel Today: "Biden is wrong in his approach to Tehran" Israel today

Raza Pahlavi in ​​an extensive interview: "Hatred is the ideological glue of the regime" • On its rivals in Iran: "Most people see the Islamic Republic as a failure" • On the Biden administration: "Calculate a path incorrectly" • On the Iranian people: "Full of passion for peace with Israel" • And about a visit to Israel: "I would be very happy to come"

• Regent Raza Pahlavi

Every year on Seder night, the Jews of the world sing on "Seder night" and she stood "with the passage" that in every generation we stand for our brides. "

This has been the case for generations since the establishment of the State of Israel.

In the past it was Egypt, under Gamal 'Abd al-Nasser, but his death led to the transfer of power to Anwar Sadat who eventually signed a peace treaty with Israel in March 1979.

However, about two months earlier, there had been a negative turnaround in Israel's interests in the Muslim world: on January 16, the Shah Muhammad Reza of the Pahlavi dynasty was forced into exile following the Iranian revolution - and on February 11, 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran was established.

From then until his death, the Shah was not allowed to visit his country.

From 1979 until today, the extensive ties between Jerusalem and Tehran have not returned to the way they were.

On the contrary, every sane person in Israel and around the world will agree today that Iran is the greatest enemy of Israel.

Now, the heir to the throne since the death of Shah Muhammad Raza in 1980 and the leader of the Iranian opposition in exile, Raza Pahlavi, tells in an interview with Israel Today about his unequivocal support for the "Abraham Agreements" and talks about a possible visit to Israel, expresses his opinion on the Biden administration And on the nuclear deal, and also sends clear messages to its biggest rivals - the Ayatollah regime in Tehran.

His Excellency, what do you think of the new American administration?

"I have always judged every American administration, every foreign administration for that matter, in the same way and with one and the same question - will they stand by the Iranian people?"

According to the regent, it is not only in the best interests of his people, but also in the national interests of Washington.

"The destructive actions of the regime are not beneficial to any long-term relationship with the free world," Pahlavi emphasizes.

As for the Biden administration, he thinks their move planning was wrong.

"They said they would return to the nuclear deal when their sworn enemy (the regime in Iran; ISA) rushed to double the rate of uranium enrichment by five." He stressed that the ayatollahs regime did so knowing that an administration pledged to return to the agreement awaited it.

"The only smart solution to the concerns of the Americans, the peoples of the region and the Iranian people, is to support Iran's struggle for freedom and democracy."

Asked if he thinks the Biden administration will return to the nuclear deal, the regent emphatically replies that "the serious problem with the nuclear deal is that it is based on a misconception of behavior change."

According to him, this is the same misconception of the Western powers for four decades.

"It will not happen," he continues.

"The Iranians know that the regime is not led by its national interests, but by its corrupt and criminal interests. That is why in my talks with foreign leaders I explain to them that the only real solution is to support the need of the Iranian people."

In this context, the regent points out a very interesting point.

"The Iranians are saying this to the world themselves," he says, "and many brave Iranian activists have sent a letter on this subject to President Biden."

Pahlavi finds a direct link between US President Donald Trump's decision to leave the nuclear deal, which he defines as "good for the Islamic Republic and bad for the West and Middle Eastern countries," and the Abrahamic Accords.

The agreement also helped support extremist Palestinians at the expense of the moderates and harmed Israel's security.

"In countries like Iraq and Lebanon, where civilians fear militias like Hezbollah, the financial damage has led to demonstrations against the influence of the Islamic Republic."

The regent adds that "the cash transfers through the nuclear deal have helped the Revolutionary Guards upgrade their terror system and undermine the security of dozens of countries. I doubt Iran is months away from nuclear weapons. On the other hand, they do not need it at all because they have the ability to wreak havoc in the region."

Do you support the "Abrahamic Agreements"?

"Of course," Pahlavi replies in a way that leaves no room for doubt.

"It is worth comparing the possibilities opened up to the young people participating in the 'Abraham Agreements', which I call the 'Alliance for Progress', compared to the suffering and misery of the 'Axis of Resistance' countries - Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria. They have gained social, cultural ties "Educational, health and economic. However, the victory is not complete until Iran is freed from the darkness of resistance in light of the alliance. I hope it will happen soon."

In 1979, when he became Iran's first supreme leader, Ruhallah Khomeini fulfilled his commitment that his country would sever ties with Israel.

Still, during the Iran-Iraq war it did not prevent the ayatollahs' regime from acquiring weapons from Israel. This apparently benefited the policy pursued by the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin regarding this war of "I wish success on both sides" - but in the long run there was no benefit.

If anyone expects that one day Jerusalem and the regime of the ayatollahs in Tehran will normalize their relations, the regent has a message: "There is no chance that this will happen."

"Unlike countries that define themselves with what they support, that is, prosperity and progress for their people, the ayatollahs' regime defines itself through what it opposes. This is not a tactic, but a hatred that will not go away. It is necessary to create a common enemy that will unite different factions. "Together. This is an ideological glue that keeps them going."

On the other hand, it is important for Pahlavi to emphasize that "the Iranian people are full of desire for peace with Israel, as with all the countries in the region and in general that respect our sovereignty."

Regarding the historical connection between the Persian people and the Jewish people, the regent, whose second name is Cyrus, emphasizes that "the biblical relationship between Iran and the Jewish people is deeply engraved in our culture and our history, and it will be renewed once the regime falls."

Will the ayatollah regime fall soon?

"I have no doubt about that," says the regent, who has unequivocally consulted on the gradual erosion of the Islamic regime over the years - and especially in the last decade.

"In the last three years there has been such a drastic change that only a few still believe that the younger generation will agree to endure the oppressive regime."

In what key areas do you think Iran has failed in foreign and internal affairs?

"Most of the Iranian people see the entire path of the Islamic Republic as a continuing failure - from the economy, the environment, health, relations with the world, the regime has failed at all. They have taken our nation hostage. This is not surprising. What matters to the regime is its survival. It is an anti- Iranian and non-Iranian. " 

Regarding the status of the ayatollah regime in the eyes of the Iranian street, the regent notes that all the coverage and analyzes he sees point to the difficult situation in which Ali Khamenei, Hassan Rouhani, Ismail Kaani and their people are.

He also reveals interesting information from his conversations with his sources in Iran itself.

"They point out that the collapse of the regime's popularity is accelerating, and part of that is even the decline in support from within the establishment itself."

Since Trump lost to Baiden in the election, tensions between Iran and Israel and the axis of moderate Sunni states have increased - and even American 52-B bombers have been patrolling the Middle East to send a clear message to Tehran.

Pahlavi thinks that Israel should not underestimate Iranian threats.

"The belligerent and hateful chants are not just rhetoric," he emphasizes.

"The regime poses a threat to Middle Eastern countries that it is trying to undermine their sovereignty with the help of their militias."

If you are invited to Israel, will you come to visit?

"I would love to visit Israel and meet its citizens." 

The heir to the throne notes that most of all he wants to meet the community of Iranians who he knows are proud of their heritage and preserve their culture.

"They maintain a better way of life than is possible under the Islamic Republic, which dislikes our history and heritage."

At the level of possible cooperation, Pahlavi explains: "I think Israel can help Iran in the high-tech and environmental fields. The Israeli knowledge about water can help my country, like Israel, a lot of concern about it."

If you return to power in Tehran, would you want relations with Israel to be as excellent as they were with your father?

"I am not looking for strength for myself, but I am interested in being a voice for my people and supporting them." 

Pahlavi, who heads Iran's National Council, a body that includes more than 30 opposition organizations in exile and is a kind of exiled government, adds: "My goal is to liberate the country and establish a secular democracy based on the will of the people. I have no doubt that Cyrus' children have Always a special place in the hearts of the people of Israel. "

Photo: Reuters

Finally, what is the message you want to convey to the citizens of Israel?

"The Islamic regime, from the beginning, celebrated death. On the other hand, raising my favorite glass is the Jewish 'cheers' (said it in Hebrew; Dasha) - cheers!

We Iranians, as a civilization, prefer to celebrate life rather than death.

"Those who think like us, like the citizens of Israel, are our natural friends and allies."