Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, has celebrated the historic relationship between Jews and Persians during a visit to Auschwitz, warning that the Islamic Republic wants to “finish what Hitler has done”.
Pahlavi received the European Jewish Association's (EJA) King Solomon Award at a ceremony in Krakow on Monday evening, before joining an international delegation of politicians, diplomats and Jewish community leaders at Auschwitz-Birkenau on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering, he reflected on more than 2,500 years of shared history, invoking the legacy of Persian King Cyrus the Great, who liberated the Jews from Babylonian captivity and enabled the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.
“The bond between Iranians and the Jewish people is not a matter of sentiment and is not a matter of political convenience. It is older,” Pahlavi said.
“It is a fundamental part of Iranian history that we are truly proud of.”
He argued that the relationship between the two peoples should not be defined by the current Iranian government, but by centuries of shared history and the possibility of a different future.
The award recognised his opposition to antisemitism and his support for closer relations between Iran and Israel.
Accepting the honour, Pahlavi said he hoped a future democratic Iran would once again become a partner for Israel and the wider region, building on the Abraham Accords through what he has proposed calling the 'Cyrus Accords'.
He has previously argued that regional peace cannot be fully achieved while the Islamic Republic remains in power.
Earlier on Monday, speaking at an EJA press conference, Pahlavi delivered a stark warning about the regime in Tehran, comparing its ideology to Nazi Germany.
“When you hear ‘never again’, this regime, in its virulent sense, wants to finish what Hitler has done,” he said.
He described the Islamic Republic as a combination of three particularly dangerous political systems.
“You have a regime that has the combination of the three worst forms of governments all at once. It is totalitarian in some respect. It is racist in some respect. It is fascist in some respect. And yet, nothing has been done to counter it.”
Pahlavi urged democratic governments to recognise the threat posed by Tehran, arguing that the international community had failed to respond adequately to the regime's rhetoric and actions.
He called for a more decisive approach, warning that extremism left unchecked would not remain confined to Iran's borders.
The prince has repeatedly called on Western governments to support the Iranian people rather than seek accommodation with the Islamic Republic's leadership.
During Tuesday's memorial ceremony, he stood alongside his wife, Princess Yasmine, and Jewish leaders to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
Addressing the gathering, EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin reflected on the Nazis' determination to erase Jewish existence.
“Here, in this place, words are almost too much. We stand at Birkenau. There are no tombstones here, no names upon the Earth,” he said.
“Those who built this place wanted more than just our death; they wanted us to be completely erased.”
But, he continued, “[the Nazis] failed, because we are here, Jews from across Europe, children and grandchildren of survivors, standing alongside the leaders of European nations on this very soil. That, in itself, is an answer”.
Pahlavi added: “We stand with you ... to ensure that this never, ever happens again.
“We stand together, not only to honour those we have lost, but to ensure a future of peace and brotherhood, and an end to evil.”
Following the speeches, Pahlavi and his wife walked through the camp before laying a wreath in memory of the Holocaust victims.
Rabbi Margolin subsequently published a lengthy personal tribute to the prince on X, describing the impression made on him during the visit.
He said that Pahlavi and Princess Yasmine had come to Auschwitz not simply to fulfil a public obligation, but to understand the history and significance of the site.
“I was deeply impressed by the man: his charisma, his wisdom and his clarity of speech. He is a strategist who thinks far ahead, a leader devoted to his people, and a brave man who takes real personal risks every single day,” Margolin wrote.
He also described Pahlavi's emotional response to the memorial, saying: “More than once I saw tears in his eyes. He is a man of deep feeling, who cares about every human being.”
Margolin praised his commitment to the Iranian people, adding that he believed the majority wanted “peace, brotherhood and reconciliation between peoples”.
He concluded: “I hope with all my heart that the Iranian people will soon have such a leader.”
The EJA's annual gathering brought together Jewish representatives and international political figures to discuss rising antisemitism, threats to Jewish communities and the security challenges facing Europe.
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