TRANSCRIPT
ABC RADIO NATIONAL
INTERVIEW WITH SALLY SARA
Thursday 17 September 2026
Topics: Iran, Former Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi.
E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………………
Sally Sara
Well, the Federal Opposition, as you're hearing, has held a virtual meeting with the exiled Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, this morning. The meeting, the virtual meeting, was attended by Opposition Leader Angus Taylor and Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Ted O'Brien, who've invited Reza Pahlavi to Australia. Ted O'Brien is the Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister and joins me in the studio, Ted O'Brien, welcome back to the program.
Ted O'Brien
Thank you very much, Sally.
Sally Sara
You were on this discussion a short time ago. Why did you decide to have this virtual discussion with Mr. Pahlavi?
Ted O'Brien
Sally, I think something that should unite all Australians is a belief in the sovereignty of nations and the freedom of peoples, and at the moment you have around 93 million Iranians who are under a brutal regime. They have no freedom, and that regime is effectively using that country as a launching pad for an ideological attack, an attack that's affecting not just the Middle East, but Australia and elsewhere in the world, and so we really have to, amidst all the discussions of the conflict and the Strait of Hormuz, we have to remember that there are human rights at the center of the issue here when it comes to Iran, and the people of Iran, including Iranian Australians, to here are looking for a better future, and it's important for us to therefore engage with opposition voices who are presenting a different vision for the country, and that of course includes Mr. Pahlavi, with whom we met on a virtual meeting today.
Sally Sara
Are you endorsing him?
Ted O'Brien
No, there's no endorsement. In fact, we believe that the future of Iran is a matter for the Iranian people. The form of a future government and who leads is a matter for them. I don't believe there is any greater liberal democracy in the world than Australia, and that belief is a fundamental one that I believe would be shared across the political aisle here in Canberra. A belief that we need to see people empowered, and at the moment, because of a very brutal regime, the people of Iran are not empowered, and therefore, voices like Mr. Pahlavi is vitally important for us to listen to, to engage.
Sally Sara
Is a member of a dynastic political family? Is that a democratic step forward for Iran?
Ted O'Brien
Certainly, what we want to see is a step forward for Iran, which gives the people freedom, and that includes democracy. Mr. Pahlavi himself spoke about the importance of democracy in our meeting today, and I'm sure he'll have more to say as time goes on.
Sally Sara
Earlier this morning, I spoke with Middle East scholar Dr. Kylie Moore Gilbert, who was detained for more than two years previously in Iran. Let's take a listen.
Grab: Kylie Moore Gilbert
I think it is a little bit awkward when you have the opposition making such a move. Obviously, foreign policy is the government's domain, and the government's reticence to endorse any one particular leader. You know, in a foreign opposition movement, it's extremely complex. You know, opposition politics in the diaspora in Iran and inside the country, but I do think that the opposition is acting with good intention. But I think if, you know, if they are wanting to endorse Reza Pahlavi, I'm not sure that they are, I think it's misguided. I think they should be engaging with all opposition groups.
Sally Sara
Are you engaging with other opposition leaders or groups?
Ted O'Brien
Yes, we are. In fact, I was in Sydney before this parliamentary sitting and met with different members of the Iranian community there. During this sitting of Parliament, in fact, even yesterday, as recently as yesterday, I believe it was, I also met with different members of the Iranian community, and like any community, there are different views, and that's a healthy thing because we are a democracy. And it is important that everybody's views are heard. If there is a common message, though, it is about the brutality of the regime that is currently punishing their own people in Iran. I mean, let's not forget that we saw a massacre of around about 40,000 innocent people in Iran in January this year. 40,000 people. The the pain, the grief, affects the community here in Australia very much, and which is why these voices need to be heard, and that is why the opposition will continue to listen, continue to engage. In fact, this shouldn't be a partisan issue. This should be a bipartisan matter. If Mr. Pahlavi visits Australia and he has accepted our invitation to do so, I expect the government too will engage with him in good faith. This is what should be done. We need to be speaking to all voices that have a positive vision for a free Iran.
Sally Sara
Thank you, Ted O'Brien, thank you very much. Ted O'Brien is the Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister.
