Theo Francken, Belgium’s defense minister, said on Friday, ۱۵ آبان, at a reception ceremony for Prince Reza Pahlavi at the Royal Military Academy of Belgium in Brussels that the Islamic Republic has tried to prevent his speech and has warned that holding this event will have serious consequences. Francken said that Tehran’s opposition to this program shows that the Islamic Republic is concerned about the message of Prince Reza Pahlavi and is trying to restrict freedom of discussion and research even beyond its borders. Referring to the importance of developments in the Middle East and the impact of the dispute between the United States and the Islamic Republic on Belgium’s economic and security interests, the Belgian defense minister said that Prince Reza Pahlavi’s views could help understand the future of the region. He introduced Prince Reza Pahlavi as one of the main figures opposed to the Islamic Republic and said that he supports the establishment of a government based on the right of the people to determine their political system through free and fair elections. At the end of his remarks, Francken pointed to the hope of the Iranian people to achieve freedom and a better future by reciting a couplet from Hafez, and welcomed Prince Reza Pahlavi.