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Reza Pahlavi Says Iran Defections Quietly Expand After Crackdown

By Drooid · Sep 20, 2026, 2:11 PM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said Iran’s military and civilian officials are quietly defecting.
He said the opposition entered a defection phase after the January crackdown that killed 40,000.
Pahlavi claimed opposition networks have expanded covert ties inside Iran while outwardly remaining in the system.
He described decentralized, society-embedded networks that Tehran’s intelligence finds increasingly worrisome.
Pahlavi warned that overthrowing the Islamic Republic remains a multi-stage process and is not imminent.

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Story summary

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said Iran’s military and civilian officials are quietly defecting.
He said the opposition entered a defection phase after the January crackdown that killed 40,000.
Pahlavi claimed opposition networks have expanded covert ties inside Iran while outwardly remaining in the system.
He described decentralized, society-embedded networks that Tehran’s intelligence finds increasingly worrisome.
Pahlavi warned that overthrowing the Islamic Republic remains a multi-stage process and is not imminent.