Belgium Refuses to Recognize Pahlavi as Iran’s Opposition Voice
(MENAFN) Belgium will not recognize Reza Pahlavi as the legitimate representative of the Iranian people, Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot declared Friday, insisting that only Iranians themselves can choose their leaders.
“Precisely in the name of democracy, the decision as to who should lead Iran is one that must rest solely with the Iranian people,” Prevot wrote on X.
Responding to an activist who had pressed the request, he said Brussels could not endorse Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s ousted shah, as the unifying leader of the democratic opposition. Prevot said other individuals and movements claiming to speak for the opposition had also approached him, and stressed that both the opposition and the Iranian diaspora include diverse voices that any engagement should reflect.
The minister also said he never opposed inviting Pahlavi to Belgium’s parliament, citing respect for the legislature’s independence and its freedom to hold contacts with foreign political figures. He had instead urged lawmakers to widen the invitation to hear other opposition groups.
“It was then the House that took the decision, not me, to refuse to host Mr. Pahlavi,” he said.
Prevot also defended keeping diplomatic ties with Tehran, rejecting a proposal by the Francophone liberal Reform Movement to expel Iran’s ambassador. Belgium, he said, needs open channels to deliver firm messages to Iranian authorities and a diplomatic presence to track developments inside the country.
“The adoption of sanctions is not incompatible with our approach of keeping diplomacy and dialogue alive,” he said.
Belgium will keep condemning human rights and women’s rights violations while backing Iranians’ calls for democracy, he added.
“We are ready to consider additional sanctions, while preserving dialogue as much as possible.”
On Wednesday, Belgium’s House of Representatives scrapped plans to host Pahlavi officially on Nov. 5 after parliamentary groups failed to reach consensus, following cautious advice from the Foreign Ministry, according to a news agency. The move did not stop the Reform Movement, which initiated the invitation, from receiving him privately.
The US and Israel launched a war on Iran in late February, aiming to destroy its nuclear program and topple the regime. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking reelection in next week’s vote, has again called for regime change in the Islamic Republic.
“Precisely in the name of democracy, the decision as to who should lead Iran is one that must rest solely with the Iranian people,” Prevot wrote on X.
Responding to an activist who had pressed the request, he said Brussels could not endorse Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s ousted shah, as the unifying leader of the democratic opposition. Prevot said other individuals and movements claiming to speak for the opposition had also approached him, and stressed that both the opposition and the Iranian diaspora include diverse voices that any engagement should reflect.
The minister also said he never opposed inviting Pahlavi to Belgium’s parliament, citing respect for the legislature’s independence and its freedom to hold contacts with foreign political figures. He had instead urged lawmakers to widen the invitation to hear other opposition groups.
“It was then the House that took the decision, not me, to refuse to host Mr. Pahlavi,” he said.
Prevot also defended keeping diplomatic ties with Tehran, rejecting a proposal by the Francophone liberal Reform Movement to expel Iran’s ambassador. Belgium, he said, needs open channels to deliver firm messages to Iranian authorities and a diplomatic presence to track developments inside the country.
“The adoption of sanctions is not incompatible with our approach of keeping diplomacy and dialogue alive,” he said.
Belgium will keep condemning human rights and women’s rights violations while backing Iranians’ calls for democracy, he added.
“We are ready to consider additional sanctions, while preserving dialogue as much as possible.”
On Wednesday, Belgium’s House of Representatives scrapped plans to host Pahlavi officially on Nov. 5 after parliamentary groups failed to reach consensus, following cautious advice from the Foreign Ministry, according to a news agency. The move did not stop the Reform Movement, which initiated the invitation, from receiving him privately.
The US and Israel launched a war on Iran in late February, aiming to destroy its nuclear program and topple the regime. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking reelection in next week’s vote, has again called for regime change in the Islamic Republic.
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