Iran's exiled prince, Reza Pahlavi, has called on Iranians to unite and ignite new national protests on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in morality police custody.
"We are a great nation; we will reclaim Iran", he said, as he called on the nation to rise up. In a video message, Pahlavi emphasized the necessity for millions of Iranians to take to the streets with the aim of "toppling the oppressive regime of Iran" as the key to achieving "the freedom and prosperity of the beloved country, Iran."
Pahlavi, who continues to be one of the most popular figures among Iranians to take over from the regime, called on the country's diverse population to join the uprising, including "laborers deprived of their wages for months, employees and retirees struggling with insufficient income, students and university professors facing expulsion and imprisonment, military personnel subjected to harassment by corrupt leaders, and police officers whose uniforms have been transformed into tools of suppression by the Islamic Republic".
Highlighting the ongoing plight of Iranians under the regime, he drew attention to the many areas of social, economic and political struggle, including censorship and religious oppression.
Last year's brutal crackdown by the regime during the protests following Amini's death, resulted in the deaths of over 500 civilians, with thousands more sustaining injuries and tens of thousands imprisoned. Pahlavi issued a warning to the Islamic Republic leaders, placing the responsibility fo any violence against the Iranian people squarely on their shoulders.