MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez said he was “surprised” by criticism of his Thursday meeting in parliament with Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s former shah. Belgium’s Foreign Affairs Ministry had advised against his visit.

Bouchez had previously signalled he would invite Pahlavi to parliament, arguing he should be seen as a key player in any transition if Iran’s current regime falls. Pahlavi is also due to appear on Friday at the Royal Military Academy at the invitation of Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA).

Bouchez met Reza Pahlavi, 65 years old, in Paris this summer. At the time, he had argued in favour of Belgian diplomats “establishing contact” with the Iranian opposition in exile.

Pahlavi’s father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ruled Iran as a pro-Western monarch until the Iranian Revolution overthrew him in 1979. Since then, Iran has been an Islamic republic. The former Shah's son is a key figure in the Iranian opposition and is positioning himself as a potential transitional leader should the current Iranian regime fall.

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The MR parliamentary group received Pahlavi in the Belgian Parliament on Thursday. Bouchez later welcomed him at the party headquarters, where he attended a reception with members of the Iranian diaspora.

The visit drew strong criticism, including from parts of the Iranian opposition, because Pahlavi has refused to distance himself from his father’s legacy.

Ahead of the meetings, Iranian organisations, Belgian politicians and human rights groups had called for them to be cancelled. Belgium’s Foreign Affairs Ministry had also advised against his visit.

Speaking to Belgian and Iranian media, Pahlavi called for the opposition to unite against Iran’s current rulers. He urged Belgium and the European Union to tighten economic sanctions on Iran, restore internet and communications access for Iranians, and further isolate Tehran diplomatically.