Members of the parade of female ‘self-sacrificing daughters’ for the Ayatollah (Image: Getty)
At a critical juncture for Iran, Europe must resist the temptation of easy narratives. The Iranian people are demanding a democratic future of their own making, not a return to discredited systems.
Having served for years in the European Parliament, including in its leadership structure, I have followed Iranian affairs closely. The European Parliament reflects the values and aspirations of the people of Europe – freedom, human rights and the rule of law. We expect those rights for ourselves, and we believe they should be universal.
Nowhere has that conviction been tested more quickly than in Iran.
In recent years, the Iranian people have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to stand up for their rights. The nationwide uprising of January 2026 was another stark reminder. The regime responded with brutal force, killing thousands and arresting thousands more. Since then, it has resorted to executions targeting political dissidents, particularly activists associated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), to prevent further insurgency.
On 15 April, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), in collaboration with the Delegation for relations with Iran, called a meeting to assess the situation. The session was presented as an exchange of views with representatives of various Iranian opposition groups.
In his opening remarks, the Chairperson emphasized that the political groups of the Committee had agreed to hold such a discussion and sought to ensure diversity among the invitees.
Even a cursory review shows that many of the invitees are aligned with the same political current advocating the return of the Pahlavi monarchy. This raises questions about whether the meeting truly reflects the diversity of Iranian opposition voices.
As expected, supporters of the Pahlavi dynasty did not focus on the central issue of an independent and democratic Iran. Instead, he used the platform to promote Reza Pahlavi by repeating baseless claims – most notably that the Iranian people have called on him to lead their struggle.
Such claims do not stand scrutiny. They are based on massively manipulated stories, including doctored video clips and slogans that were fabricated or amplified in misleading ways. Several social media accounts associated with Iran’s Intelligence Ministry and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have actively promoted this narrative.
Some speakers claimed to speak “on behalf of the Iranian people” despite having no such mandate or recognition within Iran or among the diaspora. It was further alleged that the protests in January were sparked by Reza Pahlavi’s call. In fact, his first public response came only when he returned from holidays, ten days after the protests began.
Many members of the European Parliament raised serious questions which were largely unanswered. Concerns were raised about the use of the title “Crown Prince”, which clearly contradicts the principle that Iran’s future political system should be determined by its people. Others pointed to the absence of major opposition voices and called for a more balanced and representative discussion. Some also expressed concern about his and his allies’ repeated calls for further attacks on Iran, including attacks on infrastructure, and considered him representative of those powers.
These concerns are not abstract; They are at the heart of how Europe engages with Iran.
In this context, it is worth recalling the comments of Senator Giulio Terzi, Italy’s former Foreign Minister and current chair of the Senate European Affairs Committee, who warned against legalizing figures linked to the authoritarian legacy. He highlighted Reza Pahlavi’s own statements in which he praised his father’s regime, as well as his willingness to cooperate with elements of Iran’s current security apparatus, including the IRGC, an organization designated as a terrorist by the European Union.
Pahlavi’s recent statements in Sweden further strengthen these concerns. When asked about his father’s record of repression, he dismissed the question as irrelevant, saying he was “proud” of his heritage and denied involvement in documented abuses.
The record of the Shah’s regime is well established: systematic torture, widespread repression, political executions, and imposing a one-party state. These are not peripheral issues; They are central to any honest assessment of Iran’s political future.
What is clear is that Reza Pahlavi has increasingly become a divisive figure within the Iranian opposition.
There is a deep perception among the Iranian diaspora that the Shah’s son’s opportunistic, divisive and hegemonic approach during the 2022 and 2026 uprisings gave the regime too much of a free hand to suppress them. As a result, some remnants of the former system have distanced themselves from Reza Pahlavi and his current allies, many of whom have arrived from Iran in recent years, and have expressed concerns about their ties to the Iranian regime. Let us tell you that he himself has repeatedly said about having contact with the commanders of IRGC.
Europe must therefore proceed with clarity and caution. Supporting the Iranian people does not mean electing or promoting any one person as their representative. This means standing firmly behind their aspirations for freedom, pluralism and democracy.
The Iranian people have made their position clearly clear through their slogans and sacrifices. They reject any return to the current theocracy and monarchical rule, instead demanding a democratic future of their own making.
Europe must stand with them, not choose for them.
Jim Higgins was a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2014.
