Nadene Goldfoot
Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi cheers on the protests
Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose father the former shah, fled just before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current clerical regime to power, has cheered the protests from exile, urging demonstrators this week to keep the movement "disciplined" and "as large as possible." He has stepped in as leading the revolution, which is what was needed; a leader.
The crown prince called for Iranians to chant together against the country's leadership at 8 p.m. local time, or 12 p.m. Eastern, on Thursday and Friday, and many did seem to answer his call.
Pahlavi's call to action "could be a turning point" in the protest movement, Yacoubian told CBS News on Thursday.
"This is a regime that is not afraid to use lethal force," Yacoubian said. "But the question is, to what extent, if they become overwhelmed, if the protests become overwhelmingly large and if there are elements in security forces, police, and so forth, kind of at that local level, who themselves are suffering the effects of this economic crisis and who decide not to shoot at people: These are the kinds of questions I think that we need to watch."
Natalie Brand, Khaled Wassef, Elizabeth Palmer and Seyed Rahim Bathaei contributed to this report.
"Iran’s exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, often called the country’s “crown prince,” is being kept at arm’s length by Washington as Donald Trump signals the US will not anoint any successor to Iran’s current regime. The backdrop is nationwide unrest inside Iran, a collapsing economy, and vows by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to crush enemies despite mounting pressure. Trump’s remarks signal that Washington is not prepared to formally back Pahlavi’s bid to “lead a transition” away from the Islamic Republic, even as the exiled monarchist—son of the last Shah deposed in 1979—cultivates ties with Israel and brands himself the figurehead of a post‑Khamenei Iran. Watch for more."
Trump, that's being 2-faced. That's not what you told the Iranians nor the world.
Along with Trump backing away from his promise to hungry Iranians who cannot buy meat these days, as it's impossible to afford, the water shortage grows. In an unprecedented move, Iran is looking to import water as an official strategy to confront one of the worst water crises in its modern history, Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi announced on December 3.
The move comes as Iran faces what officials say is the driest year in more than half a century.
Nationwide rainfall has plummeted, reservoirs behind major dams are approaching critical levels, and decades of over-extraction have depleted aquifers. Large cities, including the capital, Tehran, have already introduced water rationing. The people never before had it this bad. They are at the panic level.
NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, said on X that the internet had been completely cut off across the country by early evening Thursday local time, a tactic that officials have used during past protests to prevent unrest from spreading and videos of violence leaking out of the country, analysts say.
Iran “is now in the midst of a nationwide internet blackout,” the group said. This is what the Ayatollah had been threatening to do and they have done it. Reza pleaded with Trump to follow his promise.
Resource:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-protests-biggest-in-years-against-ayatollah-what-to-know/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1yrLxIUM3g
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-water-crisis-import-neighbors/33613589.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/iranian-government-shuts-internet-violent-crackdown-continues-rcna253147
Afterthought, could Trump be jealous of Pahlavi's position of savior of the rebellion and possible leader of Iran? He might feel that was his position.
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