Trump's Iran peace deal is a 'betrayal' of my people, says Tehran's exiled Crown Prince

By NATALIA LISBONA and ANDREW JEHRING, CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT Published: 23:25, 18 June 2026 | Updated: 23:25, 18 June 2026 Iranians feel 'betrayed' by Donald Trump's peace deal and it is 'abhorrent' the fate of the people is 'nowhere in the discussions', Tehran's exiled Crown Prince has said. Reza Pahlavi said that the tens of thousands of Iranians who were killed in January for demonstrating against the regime had 'not died for a nuclear deal or the Strait of Hormuz'. He also took aim at Sir Keir Starmer for 'validating and rewarding blackmail' after the PM offered to lift British sanctions on the theocratic dictatorship following the agreement. But Mr Pahlavi, who is seen by many as the unofficial leader of the opposition, said he still believes the regime will fall and that the peace plan will fail as it is 'not tenable'. He spoke to the Daily Mail in London after Donald Trump signed a deeply controversial Memorandum of Understanding in Versailles on Wednesday to end the conflict. Under the terms, Tehran will receive $300billion (£227billion) in reparations as well as sanctions relief provided it reopens the Strait, disposes of its enriched uranium and commits to not developing nuclear weapons. New Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei yesterday released a statement saying he had 'issued the permission' to sign the deal. But he said the terms show that 'negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy's point of view'. Mr Pahlavi, 65, is the son of Iran's last Shah, who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution Trump signed a physical copy on Wednesday while dining with French President Emmanuel Macron at Versailles He added that Mr Trump had made the deal 'out of desperation'. Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian boasted the document is 'a reflection of the voice of a nation that did not trade its dignity and independence for any threat or pressure'. Mr Trump started the war in February with Israel after promising Iranian protesters he would 'come to their rescue'.  It is not known how many were killed by the regime in January, but some estimates run as high as 40,000. Washington has now declared victory by securing terms that leave the regime in power and enrich it, while scores of arrested protesters languish on death row. Mr Pahlavi, 65, is the son of Iran's last Shah, who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.  He said Iranians feel 'betrayed' and are asking if the promise of regime change is 'going to be delivered or not', adding: 'That's on the conscience of this President and this administration.' He said: 'It's been abhorrent for us that nowhere in the discussions have the Iranian people even been considered as being part of the issue.' Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian holds a document showing a memorandum of understanding he signed to end the Middle East war Mr Pahlavi said Iranians want liberty and an end to human rights violations, political imprisonment and executions. He warned that the money secured by Tehran will not 'trickle down to the people' but will be used to reinforce proxies including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. Mr Pahlavi also criticised comments made by Mr Trump that 'it's OK' for Iran to have some ballistic missiles because other countries have them. 'The nature of the beast is that they are dangerous in nature, that should be the calculation,' Mr Pahlavi said. 'It's a beast that they're dealing with, not rational people who calculate and are accountable to their own citizenry. If they were, they would not shoot 40,000 people just to survive.' Yet Mr Pahlavi said he has a sense the 'door is still open' for Mr Trump to take further action. On the deal, he said: 'I don't think it's going to last. It's not tenable, it's not legitimate in the eyes of the people.'  He sought to remind Sir Keir and Western leaders that 'executions are continuing in Iran' every day and the fate of citizens must be linked to any negotiation. He said Britain should 'stick with us, help us overcome this'. Despite concern over the memorandum, he said Iranians remained 'resilient in their fight for freedom'. The US military confirmed that it had lifted the naval blockade of Iranian ports. But Israel has refused to pull out of Lebanon as per the terms of the memorandum, earning it criticism from US vice president JD Vance yesterday. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been sidelined in negotiations and is not a signatory of the agreement. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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