Iran exiled Crown Prince video address with English subtitle

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Video speech released by Reza Pahlavi, Iran's exiled crown prince, on Thursday Jan 8, 2026, called for mass strikes and intensified street protests, urging citizens to occupy central Tehran and chant slogans at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. In a rare Farsi video message, Reza Pahlavi tells Iranians that “larger crowds make the regime forces flee” and urges them to chant in unison at 8 pm from streets and homes this Thursday and Friday. Calling the Islamic Republic “closer than ever to collapse,” he appeals directly to soldiers and security forces to “return to the embrace of the nation” and protect protesters instead of shooting them. The exiled crown prince tries to position himself as a key figure in his homeland's future as Iran's leaders confront a serious challenge to their authority in the form of nationwide anti-government protests. Reza Pahlavi, 65, galvanised protesters on Thursday night, helping to transform what started as grievances over the Islamic Republic's weakened economy into a legitimate threat to the country's theocracy. Reza Pahlavi has galvanised protests in Iran, helping to transform what started as grievances over the Islamic Republic's weakened economy into a serious threat to the country's theocracy. Mr Pahlavi was born on 31 October 1960 and grew up in luxury as the crown prince of his father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, after he inherited the throne from his own father, an army officer who seized power with support from the UK. Mr Pahlavi's father's power was shored up by a CIA-backed coup in 1953, and he went on to work closely with the US. The young crown prince once played rock music in the Niavaran Palace during then-US president Jimmy Carter's visit to Tehran on New Year's Eve, according to a biographer of his father. In 1980, following the death of his father in exile in Cairo, Egypt, Reza Pahlavi declared himself shah of Iran, styling himself "Reza Shah II", and actively participated in political activities opposing the Islamic Republic from abroad. As of 2026, he is based in Potomac, Maryland, United States. The following is the English transcript of his speech: You have won the admiration of the world with your courage and steadfastness. Your repeated and magnificent presence on the streets of Iran on Friday evening was a tooth-crushing response to the threats of the traitorous and criminal leader of the Islamic Republic. I am sure that he saw these images from his hiding place and trembled with fear. Now, with your decisive response to the first call, I am certain that by making our street presence more targeted, and at the same time, cutting off the financial arteries, we will completely bring the Islamic Republic and its worn-out and fragile apparatus of repression to its knees. In this regard, I call on workers and employees in key sectors of the economy, especially transportation, and oil, gas, and energy, to begin a nationwide strike. I also ask all of you to come to the streets today and tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday (January 10 and 11), this time from 6 pm, with national flags, images and symbols, and take over public spaces. Our goal is no longer just to come to the streets; the goal is to prepare to conquer and defend city centers. To achieve this goal, move as much as possible to the more central parts of the cities through different routes and connect the separated populations. At the same time, prepare to stay on the streets from now on and make the necessary preparations. To the youth of the Eternal Guard of Iran, and all the armed and security forces who have joined the National Cooperation Platform, I say: Slow down and disrupt the machine of repression even more so that on the promised day, we can completely disable it. I am also preparing to return to my homeland so that I can be with you, the great nation of Iran, when our national revolution is victorious. I believe that day is very near. Enduring Iran!