Reza Pahlavi, the exiled heir to Iran’s last Shah, has once again called on members of the Iranian military to abandon the regime and support protesters amid ongoing anti-government demonstrations.

In a statement released Wednesday morning via X (formerly Twitter), Pahlavi reassured citizens that U.S. aid is on the way and urged them to continue their struggle.

“My fellow countrymen, you’ve probably heard the message from the President of the United States. Help is coming. Keep up the fight, as you have done until today,” he said.

Pahlavi described a “sea of blood” between the Iranian people and the regime, warning that those responsible for the crackdown will be held accountable. He called on the armed forces to stop defending the political leadership of the Islamic Republic, stating:

“I have a special message for members of the armed forces. You are the national army of Iran, not the army of the Islamic Republic. You have a duty to protect the lives of your countrymen. Time is limited. Join them as soon as possible.”

Amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, Pahlavi met secretly over the weekend with Donald Trump’s envoy, Stiv Whitcoff, to discuss the unrest, Axios reported. This marked the first high-level contact between the Iranian opposition and the Trump administration since the protests began more than two weeks ago.

While Pahlavi is positioning himself as a potential transitional leader if the regime falls, he remains relatively unpopular among Iranians.