Regional
Son of Iran’s last shah urges US military intervention in Iran
The exiled son of Iran’s toppled shah has said there were signs that the Iranian government was on the brink of collapse and that an attack could weaken it or accelerate its fall.
Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi on Saturday said U.S. military intervention in Iran could save lives and urged President Donald Trump’s administration not to spend too long negotiating with Tehran’s clerical rulers on a nuclear deal.
The exiled son of Iran’s toppled shah told Reuters in an interview that there were signs that the Iranian government was on the brink of collapse and that an attack could weaken it or accelerate its fall.
Pahlavi was speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where officials from the Iranian government are banned.
“It’s a matter of time. We are hoping that this attack will expedite the process and the people can be finally back in the streets and take it all the way to the ultimate regime’s downfall,” said Pahlavi, who is based in the United States and has lived outside Iran since before his father was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
A campaign of mass arrests and intimidation has led to the arrests of thousands as Iranian authorities seek to deter further protests after last month’s crackdown on the bloodiest unrest since 1979.
The protests began on December 28 as a modest demonstration in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over economic hardship and quickly spread nationwide.
Iran’s opposition is fragmented among rival groups and ideological factions – including the monarchists who back Pahlavi – and appears to have little organized presence inside the Islamic Republic.
In an interview with Reuters last month, Trump sounded skeptical about the level of Pahlavi’s support inside Iran.
The Trump administration has engaged with Iran to see if a nuclear deal can be struck as Washington amassed military forces in the region. U.S. and Iranian diplomats held talks in Oman last week and further talks in the coming week are expected.
“People are hoping that at some point the decision will be made that there’s no use, there’s no point, we’re not going to get anywhere with negotiations. Therefore, that’s time for the United States to intervene and do what President Trump promised he will do, to have the people’s back,” Pahlavi said.
“Intervention is a way to save lives,” he added.
On Friday, in a speech to U.S. troops in North Carolina, Trump said Iran has been difficult in nuclear negotiations and suggested that instilling fear in Tehran may be necessary to resolve the standoff peacefully.
Two U.S. officials speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters on Friday that the U.S. military was preparing for the possibility of a sustained, weeks-long operation against Iran if Trump ordered an attack.
At least 15 people, including 11 civilians and four security personnel, have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, according to local authorities.
The unrest was triggered by opposition to the reservation of 12 seats in the regional legislative assembly for Kashmiri refugees. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) called for a march to Muzaffarabad, but authorities banned the group, accused it of sedition, and ordered action against its leaders.
Despite the restrictions, thousands of protesters joined the march, leading to violent confrontations in several areas.
Dozens of people have also been injured, and concerns remain over further violence. Amnesty International has criticized the authorities’ response, citing mass arrests, internet shutdowns, and the use of excessive force against protesters.
The demonstrators are demanding the abolition of the reserved seats, arguing that all legislative seats should be contested by residents of the region. However, the region’s Supreme Court has ruled that the seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be removed through political or administrative measures.
Regional
US hits China- and Hong Kong-based entities with sanctions over Iran weapons
The U.S. State Department also designated two companies and individuals based in Iran and Belarus in connection with Iran’s conventional arms-related activities, Treasury said.
The U.S. government on Wednesday said it was imposing sanctions against 11 people and entities, including several based in China and Hong Kong, for supporting weapons procurement by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian military, Reuters reported.
Nine of those designated were China- and Hong Kong-based individuals and companies that facilitated the procurement of weapons for Iran’s military, and a Hong Kong-based company operating within Iran’s clandestine banking network, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said in a statement.
The U.S. State Department also designated two companies and individuals based in Iran and Belarus in connection with Iran’s conventional arms-related activities, Treasury said.
All personnel on board a military helicopter have been killed in a crash near Muzaffarabad in Pakistani Kashmir, Pakistan’s military said in a statement on Wednesday, without specifying the number of deaths.
“An Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad today during take-off due to technical fault,” the military said in a statement, Reuters reported. “There were no survivors.”
Rescue teams have reached the site and a board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact technical cause of the accident, it said.
The helicopter crashed while taking off and caught fire, a Reuters witness said, adding that firefighters were trying to control the flames.
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