Source: Epoch Times, By Guy Birchall, January 15, 2026
The president described exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi as ’very nice,‘ but said he ’wasn’t sure how he would play with his country.’
President Donald Trump questioned on Jan. 14 how much support the exiled crown prince of Iran had in the Middle-Eastern country.
“He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country,” the president said of Pahlavi, who left Iran before the fall of his father’s regime and has been a resident in the United States for decades.
“And we really aren’t up to that point yet.
“I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me.”
In recent years, Pahlavi has raised the idea of a constitutional monarchy, potentially with an elected rather than hereditary ruler, but has also said it is up to the Iranian people to choose who governs them.
“People have given up with the idea of reform, and they think there has to be fundamental change. Now, how this change can occur is the big question.”
Trump went on to say that it is a possibility that the current theocratic leadership of Iran could be ousted during the protests, but added, “any regime can fail.”
“Whether or not it falls or not, it’s going to be an interesting period of time,” he said.
In the post, he announced the cancellation of all talks with Iranian officials and assured the protesters that “help” was on the way.
On Jan. 14, however, Trump relayed information that no executions of protesters are expected.
When asked to clarify the source of the comment, which implies that discussions on the situation are still ongoing between the administration and Tehran, Trump referenced conversations with “some very important people on the other side,” but didn’t elaborate.
“They’ve said the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place. There was supposed to be a lot of executions today, and that the executions won’t take place,” Trump said.
“We’re going to find out … but we’ve been told on good authority, and I hope it’s true. Who knows? … But they told me that there’ll be no executions, and so I hope that’s true.”
When asked by a reporter whether the update means that the United States is taking military action “off the table,” Trump said that the U.S. would “watch and see what the process is.”
“I can tell you, I am confident about that. There is no plan for hanging at all,” he said.
“This is another piece of the misinformation campaign … to provoke President Trump and drag him into this question that could have disastrous consequences.
“Hanging is out of the question.”
Meanwhile, HRANA says the death toll of the protests has already soared into the thousands.
“Additionally, 14 non-protesting civilians are recorded among the fatalities. On the other side, 153 members of security forces and government supporters have lost their lives. Furthermore, 882 additional deaths remain under investigation.”
HRANA’s figures show the current round of protests to be the most deadly since the deposition of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
