At Munich Convention, Iran’s Crown Prince Declares Opposition to Islamic Regime

Several opposition groups of diverse cultural and political perspectives voiced their support for Reza Pahlavi and regime change in Iran.

Reza Pahlavi, Iranian opposition leader and son of the last shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, holds a press conference in Paris on June 23, 2025. Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images

Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi declared on July 26 that “a united opposition” to the Islamic dictatorship that has held power for more than 40 years was finally coming together as hundreds of people gathered in Munich on July 26 for the Convention of National Cooperation to Save Iran.

Pahlavi’s communications team described it as “the largest, most diverse gathering of Iranian dissidents united for a democratic Iran,” with more than 500 people attending to create “the most diverse coalition ever established against the regime.”

“The purpose of this convention is to agree on a road map for a democratic transition and a plan for the reconstruction of the country,” it stated in a statement announcing the event.

The convention was designed to build momentum for regime change, and follows statements Pahlavi began making after the regime was crippled by Israel during the brief war between the two states in June.

“We are a united opposition. Together, we will bring freedom and prosperity to Iran,” he said on X.

Pahlavi was seen in the crowd of attendees waving the variant of the Iranian flag that bears a golden lion and sun at its center. He spoke with several families, many of whom had lost loved ones to the current regime. On stage, representatives of a diverse array of political and religious groups rose in turn to declare their members’ support for Pahlavi’s push to upend the Islamist regime and replace it with a secular democratic government.

His press office said in its statement that attendees would “span the ideological spectrum of Iranian politics from left to right, monarchist and republican and will also represent the diverse array of Iran’s demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds including different religious, linguistic, ethnic and tribal groups.” These include the Kurds, a predominantly Sunni Muslim ethnic group that has continued to face discrimination in the Shia Muslim regime.

Attendees included activists, artists, entrepreneurs, tribal leaders, former political prisoners, and athletes.

“Kurdistan Province remains one of the most deprived regions in Iran,” Tayeb Azmoudeh, an Iranian wrestling champion, said during his speech. “Still, we Kurds have always stood for Iran. I, as an Iranian Kurd and an athlete, proudly raise the flag of the Lion and Sun.

“We believe in the territorial integrity of Iran and seek a free, prosperous, and unified nation—one in which religion is separate from government, justice is upheld for all, and diverse ethnicities and faiths live in equality.”

The expectation appeared to be that Pahlavi would help lead the new government through the transitionary period. His father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was the last shah of Iran, overthrown during Iran’s 1979 revolution. Pahlavi was officially named crown prince in 1967.

“Prince, we see you not as a symbol of the past, but as a sign of restored national trust—a bridge to a future in which Iran once again stands proud,” Anshan Khosravi, a leader of Iran’s Bakhtiari tribe, said during his speech. “We do not see you as a savior, but as a sworn companion—someone who understands the pain of this nation and walks beside the people in pursuit of freedom, justice, and secularism.”

Meanwhile, opposition also appears to be building within the borders of Iran. Pahlavi reportedly told Politico that more than 50,000 officials within Iran’s ruling government and military had registered on a secure platform to coordinate the ousting of the Islamic dictatorship, although the exact numbers and backgrounds of the officials still needed to be verified.

Pahlavi’s press office didn’t respond to a request for confirmation of those numbers.

Separately, the press office stated in its preconvention statement that Pahlavi would mobilize in Iran “a campaign of civil disobedience and strikes, to secure regime defections including through his newly established platform,” on top of continuing to mobilize external pressure.

“The Iranian people deserve peace, democracy, and freedom,” Pahlavi said on X. ”That is what I am fighting for. That is why this regime has to fall.”