Iranian Shah's son warns against military strike; opposes sanctions

Washington - The son of Iran's late Shah warned Wednesday that a military attack against Iran - even though aimed at preventing the country from developing nuclear weapons - would rally support for the regime and hinder the democratic movement.

'It will rally nationalistic sentiments which will work to the regime's advantage, and consequently give the theocracy a much longer lease on life,' Reza Pahlavi said at a press conference in Washington.

'A military strike may delay the bomb by two or three years, but it will delay democracy several times over,' said Pahlavi, whose father was ousted in 1979 and died of cancer in 1980.

Pahlavi said he opposes broad economic sanctions to punish Iran over the nuclear dispute, suggesting instead that steps like travel restrictions and the freezing of bank accounts could be placed on members of the regime.