Iran’s Pahlavi is a ’good man’, but Trump won’t meet him

Amid the ongoing protests in Iran, US President Donald Trump has refused to meet the country's exiled 'crown prince' Reza Pahlavi.

In an interview on Thursday (January 8), Trump called Pahlavi a 'good man' but said that meeting him in the current situation 'does not make sense'. Trump's position is a clear signal that even if the government falls or there is a change in the regime in Iran, Washington is not ready to quickly support Pahlavi as the country's next leader.

In the interview, Trump said that at this moment we should observe everything and see who emerges as the leader from the situation. Reza Pahlavi, who is currently in the United States, is the son of the last Shah of Iran and is known to be close to Israel. He had previously offered to run an interim government in Iran. However, Trump's recent comments reveal the White House's disinterest in Pahlavi's proposal.

Meanwhile, the protests that began last month in Iran due to inflation and a severe economic crisis have now turned into an anti-government movement, which the country's government is currently suppressing by blackout or disconnecting the internet.

President Trump has warned the Iranian authorities that America will respond severely if there is any attack or loss of life on the protesters. He made it clear that if they start killing people, we will deal them a very severe blow.

On the other hand, Reza Pahlavi thanked Trump for his pledge to stand by the protesters and called on European leaders to break their silence and come forward to support the Iranian people.

Iran is currently going through a multifaceted crisis. Tehran has been left diplomatically cornered by the loss of its regional allies amid internal protests and a severe water crisis, the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, the weakening of Hezbollah and the arrest of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. However, despite all this pressure, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed not to give in, saying they will force the enemy to its knees.

Al Jazeera reports.