Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was splattered with red liquid by a protester Thursday outside a federal news conference building in Berlin's government district. The 65-year-old son of Iran's last shah appeared unharmed, waved to supporters, and was driven away by security as police immediately detained the man responsible.

The incident occurred moments after Pahlavi concluded a news conference where he sharply criticized a recent U.S.-Iran ceasefire and urged European governments to back regime change in Tehran. He argued that diplomacy with the Islamic Republic has been given enough chances and described its leaders as lacking pragmatists or reformers, calling the regime "a wounded beast" at its most fragile point. "If you think you can make peace with this regime, you are sorely mistaken," Pahlavi said, presenting Europe with a choice between supporting a "dying regime that endangers us all" and a free Iran.

Pahlavi, who has lived in exile in Maryland since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ousted his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, claimed Iranian authorities executed 19 political prisoners in the past two weeks and sentenced 20 others to death. He questioned whether the free world would act or "watch the slaughter in silence." He has positioned himself as a figure for a democratic transition if the regime falls, though support inside Iran remains unclear amid a divided opposition.

Berlin police initially described the liquid as tomato juice before referring to it only as a red substance; Pahlavi's team called it tomato sauce. The attacker, not previously known to authorities, was questioned about his identity and motive, but his name was withheld under German privacy rules. No injuries were reported, and video footage captured the man approaching from behind Pahlavi's security detail before throwing the liquid on his neck and the back of his blazer.

Hundreds of Pahlavi supporters had rallied nearby, including near Germany's parliament, voicing opposition to Iran's clerical leadership amid ongoing diaspora protests. The visit came as tensions persist in U.S.-Iran relations, with a fragile ceasefire in place following military actions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has welcomed the truce extension and called for peace talks in Islamabad.

Pahlavi did not meet with German government officials during the trip. The episode underscores the polarized views on the exiled prince, embraced by monarchists but criticized by other opposition factions as lacking democratic credentials.