PARIS (VINnews)- For the first time since the recent wave of protests erupted in Iran, former Empress Farah Pahlavi gave a public interview, voicing strong support for demonstrators and asserting that the Islamic Republic is displaying clear signs of instability and decline.

In an exclusive conversation with i24NEWS journalist Christian Mallard conducted in French, Pahlavi reflected on the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Pahlavi monarchy, life in pre-revolutionary Iran, and the country’s current political and social turmoil.

Crowned Shahbanu at age 29, she became the first woman in modern Persian history to hold the title of empress. During the 1960s and 1970s, she emerged as a prominent figure representing secularism, modernization, and cultural openness. The 1979 revolution forced the royal family into permanent exile.

Addressing the latest protests, which broke out in recent weeks and were met with violent crackdowns, Pahlavi expressed deep solidarity with those challenging the authorities. She condemned more than four decades of repression under the Islamic Republic.

“For more than half a century, the Iranian people have lived under a regime that has silenced their voices and stripped them of their freedoms and dignity,” she said. “Today, the signs of weakness and instability are evident. The regime survives through fear, but history shows that such systems do not endure.”

Pahlavi recounted a striking personal anecdote: a recent Zoom call with the niece of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who reportedly told her, “We miss you,” before being arrested soon afterward. She presented the episode as evidence of the regime’s intolerance for even the slightest dissent, including within its own ranks.

She emphasized that her son, Reza Pahlavi, harbors no ambition for power, only a desire to serve. “The priority is to restore sovereignty to the Iranian people and guarantee fundamental freedoms,” she said. “The future of Iran must be decided by its citizens themselves.”

Pahlavi expressed unwavering confidence in the Iranian people and their capacity to bring about a free and democratic future.

The remarks come amid heightened international scrutiny of Iran, where ongoing demonstrations have spotlighted allegations of widespread human rights violations and brutal suppression by security forces.