February 15, 2025 – Reza Pahlavi, the former Crown Prince of Iran, announced during a conference attended by his like-minded supporters that the preservation of Iran’s territorial integrity is his primary condition for cooperating with opposition parties and groups against the Islamic Republic. He has repeatedly emphasized that any political change in Iran must occur within the current borders of the country.
This stance, on the surface, appears to be an effort to maintain national unity, but in reality, it is a blatant violation of the principles of democracy, human rights, and the right to self-determination of the nations under Iranian occupation.
- The Right to Self-Determination in International Law
The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law, explicitly stated in Article 1 of the United Nations Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and numerous UN General Assembly resolutions.
According to these principles, all nations have the right to freely determine their political, economic, social, and cultural destiny without external interference.
The Ahwazi Arab, Baloch, Kurdish, South Azerbaijani Turk, Turkmen, and other oppressed nations who have lived under Iranian occupation for decades have repeatedly demanded the implementation of this right. However, Iranian governments—both under the Pahlavi dynasty and the Islamic Republic—have consistently suppressed these demands through military and political oppression.
UN General Assembly Resolution 2625 explicitly states:
“Any attempt to suppress a nation’s right to self-determination is a clear violation of the principles of international law.”
Yet, Reza Pahlavi, by insisting on the preservation of Iran’s current borders, ignores this fundamental right and stands against the legitimate demands of the non-Persian nations.
- The Contradiction of Territorial Integrity with Democracy and Human Rights
Democracy is based on the will and choice of the people, and every nation must have the right to freely decide its future. However, Reza Pahlavi’s non-negotiable condition of maintaining Iran’s borders effectively imposes a political structure on the occupied nations.
This stance directly contradicts the principles of democracy and human rights.
The right to self-determination supersedes a country’s territorial integrity. Enforcing the current borders without considering the will of the nations living within them is a form of dictatorship and a violation of human rights.
History has shown that the nations under Iranian occupation have never voluntarily joined the framework of the central Iranian state but have been forcefully kept under its control through military suppression and internal colonial policies.
- The Historical Struggles of the Occupied Nations for Independence and Their Rights
A review of Iran’s modern history reveals that non-Persian nations have never achieved their rights under Iranian rule.
Examples of these historical struggles include:
• The Ahwazi Arab nation has been fighting against Persian occupation and colonialism since 1925 and continues to demand independence.
• The Baloch nation has long suffered from oppression, poverty, and discriminatory policies by the central government and has repeatedly risen to claim its national rights.
• The Kurdish nation has staged numerous uprisings throughout history against Iranian occupation and has always aspired to establish an independent state.
• The South Azerbaijani Turk nation, which has never forgotten the history of the Azerbaijani Republic under Pishevari, has been fighting for its independence for decades.
Reza Pahlavi’s stance is merely a continuation of the Pahlavi dynasty’s policies of oppression, denial of national identity, and linguistic suppression of these nations.
- The Repetition of Autocratic Policies and the Denial of Nations’ Rights
Reza Pahlavi’s condition of preserving Iran’s territorial integrity is not only inconsistent with democracy and human rights but is also a clear violation of the right to self-determination of the nations under Iranian occupation.
His insistence on maintaining Iran’s territorial unity is, in reality, a continuation of the Pahlavis’ and the Islamic Republic’s oppressive policies against non-Persian nations.
The international community, human rights organizations, and the United Nations must put increased pressure on opposition figures like Reza Pahlavi to uphold the principles of democracy, human rights, and the right to self-determination for the occupied nations in Iran.
The non-Persian nations in Iran have the right to decide for themselves whether they wish to remain within the Iranian framework or gain full independence.
No political force can deny the legitimate and legal right of the occupied nations in Iran. The free will of nations in achieving democracy and freedom can only be realized through self-determination and national independence.
Information Center of the Democratic Popular
Front of Ahwaz
