Iran’s former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi asserted on Saturday that the Islamic Republic is experiencing an internal erosion, with elements of its military and civilian establishment quietly distancing themselves from the regime. Speaking at the Cyrus the Great II gathering in Toronto, Pahlavi described this phase as an “active defection” in the ongoing efforts to overthrow Iran’s current government.

Addressing thousands of supporters, Pahlavi reflected on the months following the violent nationwide protests in January, which resulted in the deaths of more than 40,000 people. He said the opposition has since regrouped, refined its tactics, and expanded its networks inside the country despite the regime’s attempts to portray the protest movement as defeated.

“We are more experienced, more cohesive, and more determined today than ever before,” Pahlavi stated, emphasizing the opposition’s goal of replacing the Islamic Republic with a free and prosperous Iran.

Central to his remarks was the claim that while many regime-affiliated officials remain publicly loyal, they have largely ceased fulfilling their roles in support of the government. According to Pahlavi, these individuals continue to hold positions but no longer carry out the regime’s directives, effectively weakening the regime’s repressive apparatus from within. He suggested that public defections, including soldiers abandoning their posts, would occur once the opposition gains sufficient strength.

Pahlavi framed January’s uprising as part of a longer pattern of unrest spanning several years, beginning with the 2016 Cyrus Day gatherings and extending through subsequent waves of protests in 2017-18, 2019, and the widespread unrest following Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022. The Toronto event coincided with global demonstrations by the Iranian diaspora marking four years since Amini’s death in custody.

Describing the January crackdown as a turning point, Pahlavi stressed that opposition strategy must adapt without altering its ultimate objective of regime change. “A change in tactics does not mean a change in objectives. It means adapting our methods to new circumstances,” he said.

The gathering at Meridian Hall, organized by the Cyrus the Great Cultural & Humanity Organization, attracted over 3,000 attendees, including political figures such as Canadian Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre. Poilievre called for stronger Canadian measures against individuals linked to the Islamic Republic, including heightened screening of those connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), continuation of targeted sanctions, and efforts to block regime-linked asset transfers. Canada designated the IRGC as a terrorist entity in 2024 and severed diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2012.

Poilievre invoked Iran’s pre-Islamic heritage by referencing Cyrus the Great and expressed hope that Iranians might one day raise the Lion and Sun flag again and return freely to their homeland.

Pahlavi also addressed official Iranian claims that the opposition remains divided and disorganized. He argued that consensus on Iran’s future governance is not required for united resistance, pointing to four shared principles uniting diverse political groups: respect for Iran’s territorial integrity, separation of religion and government, individual freedoms and equality before the law, and the right of Iranians to freely choose their governmental system through elections.

Regarding organization, Pahlavi described extensive, decentralized networks within Iran that facilitate coordinated actions despite the security apparatus’s efforts to dismantle them. He suggested intelligence agencies are increasingly alarmed by these underground movements.

While optimistic about the opposition’s progress, Pahlavi warned against expectations of an imminent regime collapse. He characterized the effort as a complex, multi-stage process that remains unfinished but emphasized that the internal weakening of the regime signifies a notable shift.

“The enemy is decaying from within and is hollow,” he said. “We are more determined and more organized than ever. Believe that the dawn of freedom is near.”