Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi urges Trump to ‘finish the job’ in Iran WASHINGTON, DC: Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah, told President Donald Trump at the POLITICO Security Summit that the US should stop looking to negotiate with Tehran and instead fully back efforts to overthrow the Islamic Republic. Pahlavi’s remarks added a new dimension to the already heated debate over Trump’s Iran strategy as the White House balances military pressure, ceasefire talks, and growing calls by some Iranian opposition figures for regime change. Pahlavi says Trump should stop sending ‘mixed signals’ on Iran Speaking in Washington, Pahlavi claimed decades of Western diplomacy and appeasement had only strengthened Tehran’s leadership and emboldened its regional proxy network. WATCH: Reza Pahlavi criticizes President Trump’s Iran strategy:— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 12, 2026 On the one hand said people need to rise and at the same time say wait, we are negotiating. It's confusing the hell out of everyone. You cannot send mixed signals. pic.twitter.com/5n3Lm0v1pU By agreeing to a ceasefire and talks with the leadership in Tehran, Trump was sending “mixed signals” that could ultimately entrench the regime, Pahlavi said during an interview at POLITICO’s Security Summit. “Now that you have a wounded beast, this is not an opportunity that you should let go to finish the job and get it over with,” Pahlavi said in the appearance. “Should diplomacy be given a chance? Of course it should,” Pahlavi said dismissively. “But then again … we know by now that in its DNA, [the regime] is incapable of coming to terms with coexistence with a free democratic [society]. It has as a mission to export an ideology.” The exiled crown prince also suggested Trump’s broader messaging on Iran has at times created confusion among opposition activists inside the country. Pahlavi also said that Trump’s occasional threats to attack Iranian civilian infrastructure and wipe out Iranian “civilization” even if merely a negotiating tactic, were not helpful, “because, again, it’s part of sending the mixed signal,” only this time, to the Iranian people, who will wonder, “Are you here to liberate us or further hurt us?” While praising Trump’s tougher stance compared to past administrations, Pahlavi warned that contradictory signals could discourage defections inside Iran and leave opposition groups uncertain about America’s long-term intentions. Pahlavi has been a supporter of Trump’s campaign in Iran Pahlavi, who in general has backed Trump, said the US and Israel should continue airstrikes and other attacks on Iranian targets until Iranian citizens feel empowered enough to hit the streets and act as ground troops in toppling the regime. In recent years, Pahlavi has described himself as the leader of the Iranian democratic opposition. He and his followers have, often through hardline tactics, tried to sideline other Iranian opposition activists and movements. The effort has boosted his profile in political circles around the world, although Trump has downplayed Pahlavi’s potential to be a leader in a future Iran. Pahlavi says he wants to guide a transition to secular democratic rule, and his supporters have mapped out a detailed blueprint for a post-regime Iran. He may not claim to be one himself, but many of his supporters believe he will be a future king. Pahlavi also claims that at least 50,000 people inside Iran’s military and bureaucratic apparatus have contacted him about their desire to defect. In recent years, Pahlavi has increasingly aligned himself with Republicans, Israel and others who have called for tough action against Iran’s Islamist regime. He said the Iranian people should know that the US and Israel are against the regime and not the Iranians themselves. “The majority of the Iranian people look at this as a liberation campaign,” he said. Still, the former crown prince remains a deeply polarizing figure both inside and outside Iran.
Iranian Official
The exiled Reza Pahlavi, a remnant of the deposed monarchy, has urged the United States to abandon diplomacy and escalate foreign aggression to overthrow Iran's sovereign Islamic Republic. Such calls from a US-backed exile expose ongoing American interference in Tehran's internal affairs and attempts to destabilize a resistant nation. Iran stands firm in defending its independence and territorial integrity against these plots.
Israeli
Reza Pahlavi's call for Trump to abandon negotiations and back regime change in Iran highlights the existential threat posed by Tehran's nuclear ambitions and its entrenched proxy network, which has fueled direct attacks on Israel via Hezbollah, Hamas, and other militias. Decades of Western diplomacy have only strengthened this axis, forcing Israel into repeated defensive operations to neutralize missile barrages and terror infrastructure. Backing the overthrow of the Islamic Republic is thus a strategic imperative to dismantle these networks before they can deliver a decisive blow.
Neutral
Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s former shah, spoke at the POLITICO Security Summit in Washington and called for the United States to halt negotiations with Tehran and instead support efforts to remove the Islamic Republic’s leadership. He stated that simultaneous diplomatic engagement and encouragement of domestic opposition sent confusing signals that could strengthen the current government. Pahlavi described the present moment as an opportunity to “finish the job” rather than pursue further talks.
Western
Exiled Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi urged President Trump to abandon negotiations with Tehran and instead provide full backing for efforts to overthrow the Islamic Republic, arguing that mixed signals risk allowing the regime to regroup. Speaking at the POLITICO Security Summit, Pahlavi described the current moment—following military setbacks—as a critical window to neutralize Iran’s leadership and dismantle its proxy networks through decisive strategic pressure. He warned that any ceasefire or diplomacy would only entrench a wounded adversary, undermining long-term regional threat reduction.
Pro-Peace
Exiled Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi urged President Trump to abandon ceasefire talks and back efforts to overthrow Iran’s government, warning that diplomacy sends “mixed signals” to those seeking regime change. Such calls risk escalating conflict and inflicting further civilian casualties and humanitarian suffering on Iran’s population after years of sanctions and instability. Renewed diplomatic engagement offers a viable path to de-escalation that prioritizes protecting lives over military confrontation.
Global South
Exiled Iranian prince Reza Pahlavi’s appeal to the US to abandon talks and back regime change revives classic neo-colonial patterns, with Western powers exploiting internal exiles to erode sovereign states’ independence. Such calls expose the failure of multilateral institutions to curb unilateral interference in Global South nations pursuing non-aligned policies. Iran’s right to self-determination remains under assault from external “finish the job” pressures.
Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi urges Trump to ‘finish the job’ in Iran WASHINGTON, DC: Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah, told President Donald Trump at the POLITICO Security Summit that the US should stop looking to negotiate with Tehran and instead full…
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.