Son of ousted Iran shah urges security forces to 'stand with the people'

"Employees of state institutions, as well as members of the armed and security forces, have a choice: stand with the people and become allies of the nation, or choose complicity with the murderers of the people," Reza Pahlavi posted on social media after a rights group said Iranian authorities were carrying out "mass killing" to suppress the unrest.

Pahlavi, who has emerged as an opposition figurehead, also called for replacing the flags outside of Iranian embassies with the pre-Islamic revolution one.

"The time has come for them to be adorned with Iran's national flag, in place of the disgraceful banner of the Islamic republic," he said.

In London, protesters managed to swap out the Iranian embassy flag over the weekend, hoisting in its place the tri-coloured banner used under the last shah, whose rule ended with the 1979 revolution.

The ceremonial, pre-revolution flag has become an emblem of the global rallies that have mushroomed in support of Iran's demonstrations.

The Iranian foreign ministry summoned the British ambassador in Tehran on Sunday over the flag swapping, according to official outlet IRNA.

(AFP)