Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran and a leading figure in the Iranian opposition in exile, has made serious accusations against the German government following his disinvitation from the Munich Security Conference.
Pahlavi stated that his initial and subsequent disinvitation was a clear indication of the Iranian government’s influence on the German government, in an interview with the German television station “Welt” in Munich. He had traveled to the conference despite not being allowed to speak and the handling of his case showed that “Tehran pulls the strings in Berlin”, he claimed. This, he said, exemplified the consequences of appeasement politics.
When asked if or why German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had given in to Tehran’s influence, Pahlavi stated that it was likely done in the assumption that this would appease the regime and deter further measures against Germany, such as the imprisonment of more Germans as hostages to exert political pressure. “But this is a failed policy, it doesn’t work”, Pahlavi said. “On the contrary, weakness only encourages Tehran to take more hostages”.
The Iranian regime, according to Pahlavi, is weaker than ever before in 46 years, with the population being the strongest and the regime the weakest. This opportunity, he believes, should be seized by Western states, rather than sitting down again with representatives of the regime “and hoping for a different outcome this time”. This has never worked.