Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is calling for a “nationwide uprising” to overthrow the Islamic Republic as Israel’s airstrikes continue to heroically dismantle Iran’s dangerous nuclear program.

“Khamenei, like a frightened rat, has gone into hiding underground and has lost control of the situation,” Pahlavi said in a Tuesday video posted to X. “What has begun is irreversible. The future is bright and together we will pass through this sharp turn in history.”

Reza Pahlavi is the eldest son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and former Empress Farah Diba. As Crown Prince, he was formally invested with the title Prince of Iran at age six in a lavish ceremony at the Golestan Palace. He was just 17 and attending a military training program in Texas when the 1979 Islamic Revolution forced his family into exile.

After the Shah’s departure, the young prince finished his education in the United States, earning a political science degree from the University of Southern California. He went on to complete jet fighter pilot training at the US Air Force Training Program at Reese Air Force Base. Following his father’s death in 1980, Pahlavi technically became the Shah of Iran in exile at age 20, though he has chosen to continue to use the title Prince.

“Do not fear the day after the fall of the Islamic Republic. Iran will not descend into civil war or instability,” he said. “We have a plan for Iran’s future and its flourishing. We are prepared for the first hundred days after the fall, for the transitional period, and for the establishment of a national and democratic government — by the Iranian people and for the Iranian people.”

Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion” on June 13, using more than 200 fighter jets to strike Iranian nuclear facilities and military targets. In response, Tehran fired more than 150 missiles at Israel on the first night of fighting but managed only 10 missiles in Tuesday’s barrage. Israeli officials say they’ve destroyed one-third of the regime’s surface-to-surface missile launchers.

“The regime’s apparatus of repression is falling apart. All it takes now is a nationwide uprising to put an end to this nightmare once and for all,” Pahlavi said. “Do not sacrifice yourselves for a decaying regime. By standing with the people, you can save your lives. Play a historic role in the transition from the Islamic Republic, and take part in building the future of Iran.”