🔶 Reza Pahlavi, the prince, in Israel; active diplomacy or a code to begin a war? 🔻 Report by Elina Farhadi “I believe one of the main reasons for international reactions—especially from the two countries that, in recent months, have had the most direct confrontation with the Islamic Republic—namely Israel and the United States, was my trip to Israel two years ago. That trip helped make it completely clear why one should draw a distinction between the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran.” This is part of the latest remarks by Prince Reza Pahlavi in an interview with the “National Revolution of Iran” network; comments that, after being shared on social media, have once again brought discussion about his role and standing in the developments of the past year in Iran and the region back into the spotlight. These controversial remarks in the media sphere have been met with two completely different interpretations and sparked widespread media uproar. Critics and opposing figures, relying on this portion of his remarks, interpreted it as acceptance of a kind of “agency,” “responsibility,” or pride in playing a role in encouraging foreign powers to take military action, and in accelerating the process of confrontation with Tehran. In contrast, his supporters, while strongly rejecting this claim, stress that these remarks in no way mean endorsement or an invitation to a military attack; rather, they explain the achievements of an active diplomacy aimed at separating the account of “the Iranian people” from “the Islamic Republic” in the minds of Western policymakers.