US President Donald Trump has ruled out meeting with Reza Pahlavi, Iran's self-proclaimed Crown Prince and leader of the opposition faction, signaling that the US is not prepared to back him as a potential successor in case of regime change.
Trump described Pahlavi as "a nice person" but said it would be inappropriate for him to meet with him as president. "I think we should let everybody go out there and see who emerges," Trump told The Hugh Hewitt Show podcast, suggesting that the US is waiting to see who will emerge from the opposition movement.
The move comes as protests continue to intensify across Iran, with Iranian authorities imposing an internet blackout in a bid to suppress the unrest. Pahlavi has called for more demonstrations, and his faction has expressed gratitude to Trump for reiterating his promise to hold the regime accountable.
Trump's comments signal that the US is not backing Pahlavi's offer to lead a transition in governance if the current system collapses. The move comes as Iran grapples with its deepening economic crisis, with protests sparking last month in response to a plunging local currency and suffocating US sanctions.
The US president had previously warned that he would intervene if the Iranian government targeted protesters. Trump renewed this threat on Thursday, saying that Iran is doing "very poorly" and that the US will hit them "very hard" if they start killing people during their riots.
Pahlavi's faction has been closely tied to Israel, which may have contributed to Trump's decision not to meet with him. The move also comes as the Iranian government faces a shrinking network of allies, including the recent toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the weakening of Hezbollah through Israeli attacks.
Iranian leaders have dismissed US threats, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei writing on social media that "we will not give in to the enemy" and vow to bring them to their knees. However, Trump's comments suggest that the US is prepared to take a tougher stance against Iran, particularly if its government targets protesters.
Trump described Pahlavi as "a nice person" but said it would be inappropriate for him to meet with him as president. "I think we should let everybody go out there and see who emerges," Trump told The Hugh Hewitt Show podcast, suggesting that the US is waiting to see who will emerge from the opposition movement.
The move comes as protests continue to intensify across Iran, with Iranian authorities imposing an internet blackout in a bid to suppress the unrest. Pahlavi has called for more demonstrations, and his faction has expressed gratitude to Trump for reiterating his promise to hold the regime accountable.
Trump's comments signal that the US is not backing Pahlavi's offer to lead a transition in governance if the current system collapses. The move comes as Iran grapples with its deepening economic crisis, with protests sparking last month in response to a plunging local currency and suffocating US sanctions.
The US president had previously warned that he would intervene if the Iranian government targeted protesters. Trump renewed this threat on Thursday, saying that Iran is doing "very poorly" and that the US will hit them "very hard" if they start killing people during their riots.
Pahlavi's faction has been closely tied to Israel, which may have contributed to Trump's decision not to meet with him. The move also comes as the Iranian government faces a shrinking network of allies, including the recent toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the weakening of Hezbollah through Israeli attacks.
Iranian leaders have dismissed US threats, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei writing on social media that "we will not give in to the enemy" and vow to bring them to their knees. However, Trump's comments suggest that the US is prepared to take a tougher stance against Iran, particularly if its government targets protesters.
The way Trump is playing it cool on meeting with Reza Pahlavi 
seems kinda awkward considering how much drama there is in Iran right now 
The guy's talking tough about backing a potential successor but also saying we're gonna let the opposition figure things out 
Like, what's the plan here? Are we just gonna wait and see who comes out on top or are we actually trying to send a message that we won't get involved in their internal politics? 
It feels like there's more going on behind the scenes than Trump is letting on 
. Like, what's up with not meeting him? Can't they just have a chill convo and figure out who's gonna lead the country next? Trump's all like "let everybody go out there and see who emerges" but really he's just saying "I'm not backing anyone"... kinda lame 
. And on top of that, he's still being super aggressive with Iran, threatening to hit them hard if they start killing protesters... what a joke 
. Pahlavi's faction is already feeling the heat, and Trump's not even giving him a chance... smh 
.
it's kinda sus cuz both sides are pretty vocal about their intentions, but at the same time trump seems like he's actually trying to avoid getting involved in iran's politics 
And honestly, with everything that's going on there - protests, sanctions, economic crisis... 
it's like a powder keg waiting to blow.
but I guess that's not gonna fly with the US right now. And meanwhile, Ali Khamenei is all like "we'll take you down" on social media... 
I mean, it's pretty clear who's getting under whose skin here.
... protesters are being silenced online because of an internet blackout, and people are getting hurt on the streets 
... Reza Pahlavi is trying his best to lead a transition, but Trump is still not backing him up, that's really frustrating 
... it feels like the US is just waiting for someone else to emerge from the opposition, while Iran is struggling with economic crisis and suffocating sanctions 
, considering how much support he has from his faction and the fact that he's been calling for more demonstrations in Iran. The US could have used someone like him to help stabilize the country and bring some economic relief 
. He's threatening to hit Iran hard if they start killing protesters, but at the same time, he's not backing Pahlavi as a potential leader 
. They think they're not going to back down, but history has shown us that countries like Iran always do 
. The US needs to find a way to engage with Pahlavi and help him become a unifying force in Iran 
.
.
We should be supporting free speech and protests, not cutting people off from information. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out...