By Ayomide Otitoju
Prominent Iranian opposition leaders have called for the resignation of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following unprecedented U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and escalating regional conflict.
Reza Pahlavi, son of the late Shah, and Maryam Rajavi, leader of the banned People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), issued separate statements on Sunday urging Khamenei to step down to prevent further bloodshed.
Rajavi accused the clerical leadership of leading Iran into destruction, while Pahlavi urged a peaceful transition. “The only sure way to achieve peace is for this regime to end,” Pahlavi stated.
Meanwhile, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, still in Iran, condemned both the regime and the ongoing war, calling for an immediate ceasefire. “Democracy and peace will not emerge from the dark and terrifying corridors of war,” she warned.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes had “devastated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure but clarified Washington was not pursuing regime change.
