Iran's exiled former crown prince says 'great national celebration' soon to come
Published at 06:12
Image source,EPA
Image caption,
Pahalvi and wife Yasmine wave at supporters during a public rally in Germany earlier this month
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah (king), has welcomed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"Ali Khamenei, the bloodthirsty Zahhak [an evil king in Iranian mythology] of our time, the killer of tens of thousands of Iran’s bravest sons and daughters, has been erased from the pages of history," Pahlavi writes on social media.
"With his death, the Islamic Republic has effectively come to an end and will soon be consigned to the dustbin of history."
Pahlavi discouraged Iranian officials from appointing a successor and warned that it was the military, security and police forces "last chance" to join the people.
"This marks the beginning of our great national celebration; but it is not the end of the road."
Pahlavi followed his parents and siblings into exile following the 1979 revolution and has resided in the United States since.