Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi Holds Press Conference in Berlin

Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince and heir to the late Shah of Iran, visited Berlin on April 23, 2026, where he held a news conference. Berlin has an Iranian expatriate community of about 300,000 members, and hundreds of supporters gathered at the federal press conference building to see him speak.

Pahlavi, who has lived in exile since the 1979 revolution, has been advocating for a change in Iran's leadership.

During the news conference, Pahlavi responded to questions from European journalists. One journalist's question addressed sentiment toward Israel, prompting Pahlavi to defend Iran's past actions. The incident raised concerns about security at the gathering. Video footage of the event circulated on social media.

Pahlavi expressed criticism of the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and the Iranian regime, as well as the ceasefire announced by President Trump on April 3, 2026. He stated support for Israeli and U.S. actions against Iran. The Trump administration has been applying economic pressure on Iran, which could lead to financial challenges for the regime, including decisions on oil production.

Following the press conference, Pahlavi issued a statement addressing European journalists and parliament members. He noted that during recent press conferences in Stockholm and Berlin, attended by over 150 journalists, none asked about the deaths of 40,000 Iranians in protests on January 8 and 9, 2026, or the executions of 19 political prisoners in the last two weeks.

He mentioned that 20 more individuals are currently sentenced to death. Pahlavi accused the European press of focusing on criticism of the U.S. and Israel instead of the Iranian regime's actions. He described Europe as having taken the side of the regime over the oppressed people of Iran for 47 years.