WASHINGTON: More than 1,000 people of Iranian descent gathered in the US capital on Sunday to voice support for the war, riding on calls to bring back Iran’s exiled crown prince who has emerged as a figure of intense interest.
Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran’s last shah who was ousted by the 1979 Islamic revolution, has positioned himself as a potential transitional leader following the killing of Tehran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes last month.
The rally on the lawn of the National Mall, not far from the White House, was a sea of Iranian and American flags, with chants of “USA! USA!” and “Javid shah” (“Long live the shah“) bolstering the crowd, along with songs in Persian.
The former crown prince entered the global spotlight during anti-government protests in Iran, which peaked in January, where “Pahlavi will return” was among the slogans chanted nationwide.
“I agree with the war, because I think it was the only option,” said Sharita Kord, a 25-year-old nurse from New York City who grew up in Iran.
