“If Washington accepts Reza Pahlavi, the heir to the Iranian Shah, as the only alternative to the mullah regime, and US President Donald Trump is preparing to meet with him in the coming days, then the continued waiting stance of South Azerbaijan activists could have negative consequences”.
According to Modern.az, political expert Elkhan Shahinoglu stated this while commenting on the events in Iran.
“It is no coincidence that movement has started in the cities of South Azerbaijan since yesterday. Circles in Washington should understand that South Azerbaijan is against the replacement of the mullah regime with the Pahlavi dynasty. US political and expert circles must understand the logic of the slogan “Azerbaijan is honor, Pahlavi is dishonor!” chanted in Tabriz, Ardabil, and other cities of South Azerbaijan. In my opinion, Washington should also hear the voice of the South Azerbaijanis living and organized in various countries!” - E. Shahinoglu emphasized.
According to the expert, there is a possibility that the regime in Iran will suppress these protests by force as well.
“However, the genie is out of the bottle, and the recent protests show that irreversible processes have begun in Iran. One American expert stated that Reza Pahlavi has the support of 35 percent of the Iranian population. The basis on which this expert cited this figure raises questions. Because it is not possible to conduct a survey among the Iranian population with the question “Do you support Reza Pahlavi?” Nevertheless, I myself have observed the existence of those who long for the Pahlavi era in Iran; years ago, when I was in Tehran, I listened to the positive opinions about Pahlavi from some local citizens I spoke with, including taxi drivers. However, the Pahlavi regime did not oppress the peoples living in Iran any less than the current regime. But we must face reality. In the West, Reza Pahlavi is accepted as an alternative to the mullah regime. He is extremely active. When protests occurred in Iran in 2023, Reza Pahlavi also became active. He first held a forum in Washington, and a few days later, he received an invitation to the Munich Security Conference. In all cases, for Azerbaijanis living in Iran, Reza Pahlavi is no different from the current mullah regime. Therefore, Azerbaijanis do not want Reza Pahlavi to be returned to power. Reza Pahlavi has stated in his declarations that if he comes to power in Iran, he will hold democratic elections. Azerbaijanis do not believe this promise of his. The return of the Pahlavis will strengthen centrifugal tendencies in Iran. This, in turn, will be accompanied by civil war, creating the danger of a repetition of the processes in neighboring Iraq and Syria,” - E. Shahinoglu said.
A.Qorxmaz
