Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah who was ousted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, called for a two-day strike across Iran, rocked by more than 10 days of anti-government protests.
In a video posted on X, the exiled opposition figure appears to call on protesters to “launch a nationwide strike for workers and employees in key sectors of the economy, especially transport, oil and gas, and energy” starting Saturday, the start of Iran’s labor week.
His online video address came amid a government-imposed internet blackout amid ongoing turmoil across Iran.
“I also ask you to take to the streets with your flags, your statues, your national symbols and take back our public spaces,” he said.
He also claimed that Friday’s protests sent a powerful message to Iranian leaders, adding: “The aim is to capture the city centers and be ready to take control.”
It is unclear how popular Mr. Pahlavi is within Iran.
The US-based man was just 16 years old when the revolution ended his father’s 40-year rule. The eldest son of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, he was the first in his family to inherit an oil-rich, thousand-year-old empire.
