Decision on Iran’s leadership rests solely with its people: Belgian foreign minister
- Maxime Prevot says Belgium cannot recognize Reza Pahlavi as legitimate representative of Iranian people
Loading…
Loading…
- Maxime Prevot says Belgium cannot recognize Reza Pahlavi as legitimate representative of Iranian people
By Necva Tastan Sevinc
ISTANBUL (AA) - Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on Friday that only the Iranian people can decide who should lead their country, rejecting a request for Belgium to recognize Reza Pahlavi as their legitimate representative.
“Precisely in the name of democracy, the decision as to who should lead Iran is one that must rest solely with the Iranian people,” Prevot wrote on US social media company X.
Responding to an activist, he said the Belgian government could not recognize Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s ousted shah, as the legitimate representative of the Iranian people and unifying leader of the democratic opposition.
Prevot noted that other individuals and movements claiming to represent the Iranian opposition had also contacted him.
He stressed that both the opposition and the Iranian diaspora encompass diverse voices, arguing that engagement should reflect that diversity.
The minister also clarified that he had not opposed inviting Pahlavi to Belgium’s parliament, saying he respected the legislature’s independence and freedom to maintain contacts with foreign political figures.
He had instead recommended broadening the invitation to hear other Iranian opposition groups.
“It was then the House that took the decision, not me, to refuse to host Mr. Pahlavi,” he said.
Prevot also defended maintaining diplomatic relations with Tehran, rejecting the Francophone liberal Reform Movement’s proposal to expel Iran’s ambassador.
He said Belgium needed communication channels to deliver firm messages to Iranian authorities and a diplomatic presence to monitor developments in the country.
“The adoption of sanctions is not incompatible with our approach of keeping diplomacy and dialogue alive,” he said.
Belgium would continue condemning violations of human rights and women’s rights while supporting the Iranian people’s calls for democracy, he added.
“We are ready to consider additional sanctions, while preserving dialogue as much as possible.”
Belgium’s House of Representatives on Wednesday dropped plans to host Pahlavi officially on Nov. 5 after parliamentary groups failed to reach consensus following cautious advice from the Foreign Ministry, according to Belga news agency.
The decision did not prevent the Reform Movement, which initiated the invitation, from receiving him privately.
The US and Israel launched a war on Iran in late February, seeking to destroy the country's nuclear program and topple the regime.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli premier who seeks a reelection in next week's vote, has again called for a regime change in the Islamic Republic.
Necva Taştan Sevinç