Exiled Iranian prince attacked with tomato juice in Berlin

Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was attacked with a red liquid as he departed a news briefing in Berlin on Thursday, according to multiple reports. The liquid, which police said appeared to be tomato juice, coated the back of his jacket and neck. Pahlavi appeared unhurt and waved to supporters before entering a car and leaving the scene. The alleged perpetrator, whose name was not released in line with German privacy rules, was immediately detained by police.

Pahlavi, 65, is the son of Iran's former shah, who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution after mass protests. Pahlavi has lived in exile for nearly 50 years and is trying to position himself as a player in Iran's future, though it remains unclear how much support he has inside the country. During the news briefing, Pahlavi argued that the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran assumes the Iranian government's behavior will change, saying, "I don't see that happening. I'm not saying that diplomacy should not be given a chance, but I think diplomacy has been given enough chance." He also claimed that 19 political prisoners were executed by Iranian authorities in the past two weeks and that another 20 people have been sentenced to death. These claims have not been independently verified.

Hundreds of Pahlavi's supporters demonstrated near Germany's parliament building on Thursday, according to German news agency dpa. Despite the demonstration, Pahlavi was not invited to meet with any government representatives during his visit to Berlin. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz released a statement welcoming the extension of the ceasefire, saying, "This presents an important opportunity to resume diplomatic negotiations in Islamabad with the aim of making peace and averting further escalation of the war." Merz added, "Tehran should seize this opportunity."