Reza Pahlavi Rejects US-Iran Ceasefire in Berlin, Labeling New Leadership ‘Different Faces of the Same Machine’

Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi calls for an end to Iran talks in Berlin, labeling the post-Khamenei leadership "different faces of the same machine."

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 23, 2026, 12:58 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Times of Israel

A Defiant Stand in Berlin

Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi addressed international journalists at Germany’s federal press conference building on Thursday, April 23, 2026, marking a significant stop on his European tour. Pahlavi’s appearance was overshadowed by a physical confrontation immediately following the briefing, where an unidentified protester splashed him with a red liquid, later identified by Berlin police as tomato juice. Despite the incident, Pahlavi remained composed, waving to a crowd of hundreds of supporters gathered near the parliament. His visit to Berlin follows recent addresses at the Swedish Parliament and meetings in Italy, all aimed at consolidating his position as a primary alternative to the current Iranian government.

Rejecting the US-Iran Ceasefire Logic

Pahlavi’s primary objective in Berlin was to dismantle the "narrative of ceasefire and negotiation" currently being pursued by the United States. Following the failure of the Islamabad talks earlier this month, Pahlavi argued that any truce—recently extended by the Trump administration—is fundamentally flawed. He contended that the belief that Tehran's leadership will become "pragmatists" is a dangerous fallacy. According to Pahlavi, diplomacy has been "given enough chance" over the last 47 years, and the international community’s current path serves only to legitimize a "dying regime" that continues to slaughter its own citizens.

Leadership Transition as Surface Change

Addressing the recent seismic shift in Tehran following the joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, 2026, which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Pahlavi dismissed the subsequent leadership changes as superficial. He referred to the current negotiators, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as "different faces of the same machine." Pahlavi insisted that the DNA of the clerical system remains unchanged regardless of who holds the specific titles, asserting that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to exert absolute control from behind the scenes.