Prince Reza Pahlavi in Le Figaro: French candidates must stand with Iranians

In an op-ed published in the French daily Le Figaro on Friday, 23 October 2026, Prince Reza Pahlavi called on the candidates in France's presidential election to commit to supporting the Iranian people's struggle for freedom. The piece appeared on the 43rd anniversary of the bombing of the Drakkar building in Beirut, a 1983 attack in which 58 French soldiers were killed.

In the op-ed, Prince Reza Pahlavi set out four specific requests to the French candidates: support the Iranian people's struggle for freedom, condemn the repression of protesters, work for Iranians' free access to the internet, and guarantee the safety of Iranians abroad against the Islamic Republic's threats.

The Islamic Republic and its record of terror on French soil

Paying tribute to the French soldiers killed in Beirut, Prince Reza Pahlavi held the Islamic Republic responsible for that attack. He then recalled the Islamic Republic's record of terrorism on French soil: the assassination of Shahriar Shafiq in Paris in 1979, the bombings of 1985 and 1986, and the murder near Paris in 1991 of Shapour Bakhtiar, the last prime minister of the Pahlavi era.

He also referred to the plot to attack RAF Fairford in Britain, in which, he said, London believes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was involved, and wrote that the Islamic Republic is "not only the executioner of the East but also a threat to the West".

Last week the White House, on the anniversary of the bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut, also named the Islamic Republic as the party behind that attack; the two attacks were carried out on the same day in 1983.

Fruitless negotiations and reliance on the Iranian people

In the op-ed, Prince Reza Pahlavi described negotiations with the Islamic Republic as futile and wrote that change in Iran must rely on the strength of the Iranian people themselves. He named the goals of this struggle as the rule of law, equality for women and the separation of religion and state, writing: "Iranians are fighting for a government that guarantees freedom and equality, including equality for women."

France's presidential election will be held in 2027, with the first round on 18 April and a possible second round on 2 May. Prince Reza Pahlavi's op-ed was published as debate over his place in Europe intensifies, including the Belgian parliament's invitation and the response of Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot. Meanwhile, inside Iran, 171 monarchist activists and political prisoners declared their support for his leadership in a statement.

Prince Reza Pahlavi urged France's candidates to base their policy towards the Islamic Republic on support for the Iranian people.