Khaberni - Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the leader of the Iranian opposition, Reza Pahlavi, "seems very nice," but he expressed doubts about Pahlavi's ability to garner support inside Iran to ultimately take power.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene to support protesters in Iran, where reports say that hundreds have been killed in a campaign to suppress protests against clerical rule. However, he refrained on Wednesday from announcing his full support for Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah of Iran who was overthrown in 1979.
In an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office, Trump said of Pahlavi, "He seems very nice, but I don't know how he will act in his own country ... We have not reached that stage yet."
He added, "I don't know if his people will accept his leadership or not, but if they do, it would be acceptable to me."
Trump questioned Pahlavi's ability to lead Iran after stating last week that he did not intend to meet him.
Pahlavi, who lives in the United States and is 65 years old, has been living outside Iran even before his father was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and has become a prominent voice supporting the protests.
The Iranian opposition is divided among competing groups and ideologically conflicting factions - including supporters for Pahlavi - and its organized presence within the Islamic Republic seems minimal.
Trump said that it is possible that the government in Tehran could fall due to the protests, but in reality, "any regime could fail".
He added, "Whether the regime falls or not, it will be an interesting time."
