A protester threw red liquid at Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi on Thursday after the son of the ousted the shah demanded European nations help Iranians fighting for democracy, and railed against the ceasefire in the US-Israeli bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.
The 65-year-old was splattered while leaving Germany’s federal news conference building, as he was greeted by some supporters but also bitter opponents. One activist was detained after splashing Pahlavi with what appeared to be tomato juice, according to police.
Pahlavi appeared unhurt by the liquid coating the back of his blazer and neck, and waved to his supporters before he got into a car that drove away.
Pahlavi’s visit to Berlin, where he was snubbed by the German government, came as efforts to end the conflict appear to have stalled, with Iran and the United States both maintaining blockades of the vital Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for around a fifth of the world’s oil.
Israel and the US launched the war on Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize its regime and destroy its ballistic missile and nuclear capabilities. A ceasefire began on April 8.
Addressing journalists before he was attacked, Pahlavi said “The whole narrative of ceasefire and negotiation is still based on thinking that … you’re going to deal with people who all of a sudden have become pragmatists.”
“I don’t see that happening,” said Pahlavi. “I’m not saying that diplomacy should not be given a chance, but I think diplomacy has been given enough chance.”
Reza Pahlavi wurde vor der Bundespressekonferenz soeben von einem Aktivisten mit Farbe attackiert pic.twitter.com/m9eWmmEqgb
— Tilo Jung (@TiloJung) April 23, 2026
Iran’s new leaders after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed at the start of the war were “difference faces of the same machine” that has “slaughtered innocent citizens by the thousands” and threatens Europe with long-range missiles, said Pahlavi.
“No deal will solve this. No negotiations will solve this. It is in their DNA,” he said.
Pahlavi also called on European governments that have stayed out of the war to “stop appeasing the regime,” and take steps from expelling Iranian ambassadors to helping Iranian citizens access the blockaded internet.
“Will the free world do something, or watch the slaughter in silence?” Pahlavi said.
European countries, including Germany, have ruled out joining the war, and have also been cautious about appearing to endorse Pahlavi because it remains unclear what support he enjoys in Iran.
According to a Berlin spokesman, the German government was not due to meet Pahlavi, who was visiting Germany after stops in Sweden in Italy. However, several German lawmakers were to hold talks with Pahlavi.
In his comments Thursday, Pahlavi said it was a shame that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government had not offered a meeting during his visit to Germany.
“Exercise your prerogative. As democracies, you’re entitled to talk to whoever you want,” he said.
“Inside Iran, tens of millions of Iranians chanted my name, and they still do,” Pahlavi claimed at the press conference, adding that “today’s Gen Z in Iran are my biggest supporters.”
Looking ahead, he voiced hopes for a popular uprising, saying that “the strategy is ultimately for people to be able to reclaim the streets.”
Pahlavi has not returned to Iran since his father Mohammad Reza was toppled in the 1979 revolution that ushered in the Islamic Republic, but has repeatedly said he was ready to lead a transition if the Islamic Republic fell in the war with Israel and the US.
While it’s unclear how much support he enjoys inside Iran, he has commanded large audiences in Iran’s diaspora, and enjoyed some shows of support among Iranian anti-regime protesters who were brutally suppressed in January.
But he represents just one of several Iranian diaspora groups, who are often bitterly at loggerheads, and has failed to win recognition from US President Donald Trump, who has never officially met with Pahlavi and repeatedly expressed skepticism over his ability to lead Iran.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Source:
www.timesofisrael.com
