Iran’s crown prince says inaction against Tehran encourages bullies as his supporters rally

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MUNICH (AP) — Banging drums and chanting for regime change, supporters of Iran ’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi rallied on the sidelines of a gathering of world leaders in Munich, Germany, on Saturday, aiming to crank up international pressure on Tehran.

The large and boisterous demonstration was part of what Pahlavi described as a “global day of action" in support of Iranians in the wake of deadly nationwide protests. Pahlavi also called for rallies in Los Angeles and Toronto.

“Change, change, regime change,” the crowd in Munich chanted, waving green-white-and-red flags with lion and sun emblems, which Iran used before its 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Pahlavi dynasty.

Some demonstrators sported “Make Iran Great Again" red caps, mimicking MAGA caps worn by U.S. President Donald Trump supporters, and waved placards showing Pahlavi. The son of Iran’s deposed shah has been in exile for nearly 50 years but is trying to position himself as a player in Iran’s future.

“Pahlavi for Iran” and “democracy for Iran," protesters yelled, as drums and cymbals sounded.

Iranian leaders are already under intense pressure, facing renewed threats of U.S. military action. Trump wants Iran to further scale back its nuclear program. He suggested Friday that regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen."

Iran was also the focus of protests in Munich on Friday, the opening day of an annual security conference in the city gathering European leaders and global security figures. Supporters of the Iranian opposition group People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, also known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, demonstrated against Iran's deadly crackdown on protesters last month.

At a news conference in Munich, Pahlavi warned of the likelihood of more deaths in Iran if “democracies stand by and watch."

“We gather at an hour of profound peril to ask: Will the world stand with the people of Iran?" he asked.

He added that the Iranian government's continued survival “sends a clear signal to every bully: kill enough people and you stay in power.”

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says at least 7,005 people were killed in the protest, including 214 government forces. It has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths.

Iran’s government offered its only death toll on Jan. 21, saying 3,117 people were killed. Iran’s theocracy in the past has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest.

The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll, given authorities have disrupted internet access and international calls in Iran.