Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Iranians must choose their leaders and Belgium would not endorse Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi as a unifying voice, after lawmakers dropped a planned official parliamentary meeting.
Anadolu Agency reported Friday that Prevot made the remarks in response to an activist on X. He wrote that Iranians should decide who leads their country and said Belgium would not present Pahlavi as speaking for the Iranian people or as a figure able to unite the democratic opposition.
Pahlavi is the son of Iran’s ousted shah. Prevot said other individuals and movements had approached him, and described the opposition and Iranian diaspora as diverse, according to his post.
Belga reported that the House of Representatives dropped plans Oct. 21 for an official parliamentary meeting with Pahlavi on Nov. 5 after parliamentary groups failed to reach agreement. Prevot said he had not opposed inviting Pahlavi but had advised lawmakers to hear from other opposition groups. He said the House made the decision to abandon the official event, Anadolu reported.
The planned parliamentary meeting and a possible private visit are separate events. BRF reported the next day that Pahlavi was still expected to visit Belgium in early November. Reform Movement (MR) leader Georges-Louis Bouchez invited him, and the party planned to host him privately, the broadcaster said.
Prevot also defended Belgium’s diplomatic ties with Tehran. He said those channels let Belgium deliver firm messages to Iranian authorities and monitor developments in Iran. He said Belgium was prepared to consider further sanctions while keeping dialogue open, Anadolu reported.
