Germany Pahlavi advocates a tough stance against Iran - attack with liquid
The Iranian opposition politician Reza Pahlavi, son of the Shah who was overthrown in 1979, has called on Germany and the whole of Europe not to rely on a diplomatic peace solution with the leadership in Tehran.
23.04.2026, 11:51
23.04.2026, 15:51
SDA
Any policy of appeasement towards the repressive state apparatus is pointless, the 65-year-old told the German Press Agency (dpa) during a visit to Berlin. "This has led to nothing in all these years."
After a press conference, Pahlavi was sprayed with a red liquid by a young man and smeared on his neck and shoulder. Police officers brought the perpetrator to the ground and arrested him.
Pahlavi has been living in exile in the US for decades and has cast himself as the leader of a political transition following an overthrow in the Islamic Republic. However, he also has many critics within the opposition - partly because of his support for the US and Israeli war of aggression against Iran, which is also causing suffering among the civilian population.
"Security measures adjusted again"
Pahlavi's team said that he had been sprayed with tomato sauce. The police reported that the arrested man had not yet made any police appearances. He is being investigated for assault, damage to property and insulting political figures. "Our emergency services have been sensitized and the security measures for the guest have been adjusted again," explained the police.
Around 1,000 supporters demonstrated for a change of power at the Reichstag building in Berlin at midday. Many waved flags with the emblem of the monarchy that was overthrown by Islamists in 1979, the lion and the sun.
Many thousands of demonstrators were expected in the course of the afternoon, according to a police spokesman. A total of 800 officers were deployed due to the large number of demonstrations. Opponents of Pahlavi also wanted to take to the streets.
"Monster" at the head of state
Pahlavi said at a press conference that the people of Iran wanted "the monsters" at the top of the state, who had blood on their hands, not to remain in power. There are no pragmatists or reformers in the "regime".
He told dpa: "I expect Western governments, including the German government, to put an end to the approach of more than four decades. This was an attempt at appeasement in anticipation of changes in the regime's behavior." However, this had achieved nothing.
No meetings with the German government
No meetings with members of the German government were planned. He said it was regrettable that the authorities in Germany were not open to a dialog with the people who represented the voice of the people. They were also under pressure because they had to take into account attempts at blackmail by the "regime forces" - such as hostage-taking. "I am not here to promote myself," he emphasized.
Pahlavi was due to meet foreign policy experts from several parliamentary groups in the afternoon, including Armin Laschet from the ruling Christian Democrats. This was criticized by Cansu Özdemir, foreign policy spokesperson for the Left Party in the Bundestag. "The son of the Shah is not a credible democrat - the members of the Bundestag in question should be aware of that." He stands for restorative ideas of power instead of genuine democratic renewal.
Laschet countered the criticism on ARD: "He is the only opposition face we know. And for many Iranians, this is simply the alternative to the mullah regime."
Police and army called on to defect
Monarchist groups see Pahlavi as the leader of the opposition. It is unclear how much support he actually has in the country. At the start of the mass protests in Iran in January, he called for a change of power and called on the police and army to defect. However, the protests back then were brutally crushed in just two nights and thousands were killed. They were the most massive protests in the history of the Islamic Republic.
Parts of Iranian society also view Pahlavi critically because his father ruled with a heavy hand: the opposition was suppressed, critics were imprisoned and a notorious secret service brutally cracked down on opponents. At the same time, other Iranians also have positive memories, as the Shah developed the country with major reform projects and close ties to the West.
1967 Protests against the Shah's visit
In Germany, too, the history of the Pahlavi dynasty is closely linked to political protest. There were violent demonstrations during Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's state visit to West Berlin in 1967. The student Benno Ohnesorg was shot dead by a plainclothes policeman on the sidelines - an event that sparked outrage throughout Germany and is considered a turning point for the West German student movement.
