Son of Iran’s late shah says Islamic republic enters ‘dustbin of history’

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and a critic of the country's clerical leaders, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The son of Iran’s late shah on Saturday hailed the reported killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying the Islamic republic that replaced his pro-Western father was finished.

“With his death, the Islamic Republic has effectively come to an end and will soon be consigned to the dustbin of history,” Reza Pahlavi wrote on X.

He warned against appointing a successor and called on security forces to join in a transition.

“To the military, security and police forces -- any effort to prop up a collapsing regime is doomed to defeat,” he said.

Pahlavi, who has presented himself as a transitional figure but does not enjoy support from all the opposition, called on Iranians to “stay vigilant” for now.

“The time for a massive and decisive presence in the streets is very near,” he said.

“Together, united and steadfast, we will secure the final victory, and we will celebrate Iran’s freedom across our homeland created by Ahura,” he said, invoking Iran’s pre-Islamic Zoroastrian heritage.