Iran’s exiled former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, argues that inconsistent U.S. messaging toward Tehran is undermining momentum against the Iranian regime.

Pahlavi says Washington cannot encourage Iranians to rise up against the Islamic Republic while simultaneously signaling ongoing negotiations with Tehran, warning that the mixed approach is creating confusion. “On the one hand, say, ‘People need to rise,’ and at the same time say, ‘Wait, we are negotiating.’ It’s confusing the hell out of everyone.”