Crown prince urges the world to stand with the people of Iran as 250,000 rally in Munich

MUNICH (AP) — About 250,000 people demonstrated on Saturday against Iran's government on the sidelines of a gathering of world leaders in Germany, police said, answering a call from Iran ’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi for cranked-up international pressure on Tehran.

Banging drums and chanting for regime change, the giant and boisterous rally in Munich was part of what Pahlavi described as a “global day of action" to support Iranians in the wake of deadly nationwide protests. He also called for demonstrations in Los Angeles and Toronto. Police said in a post on X that the number of protesters reached some 250,000, more than the organizers had expected.

“Change, change, regime change” the huge crowd chanted, waving green-white-and-red flags with lion and sun emblems. Iran used that flag before its 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Pahlavi dynasty.

At a news conference, Pahlavi warned of more deaths in Iran if “democracies stand by and watch" following Iran’s deadly crackdown on protesters last month.

“We gather at an hour of profound peril to ask: Will the world stand with the people of Iran?” he asked. He added that the survival of Iran's government “sends a clear signal to every bully: kill enough people and you stay in power.”

An estimated 350,000 people marched on the streets of Toronto as part of the Global Day of Action Rally, Toronto Police spokesperson Laura Brabant said.

At the Munich rally, demonstrators sported “Make Iran Great Again" red caps, mimicking the MAGA caps worn by U.S. President Donald Trump 's supporters. Among those sporting the caps was U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina who gave a speech to the crowd during which he was photographed holding up the headwear.

Many at the rally waved placards showing Pahlavi, some that called him a king. The son of Iran’s deposed shah has been in exile for nearly 50 years but is trying to position himself as a player in Iran’s future.

The crowd chanted “Pahlavi for Iran,” and “democracy for Iran" as drums and cymbals sounded.

“We have huge hopes and (are) looking forward that the regime is going to change hopefully,” said Daniyal Mohtashamian, a demonstrator who traveled from Zurich, in Switzerland, to speak for protesters inside Iran who faced repression.

“There is an internet blackout, and their voices are not going outside of Iran,” he said.

About 500 protesters also rallied outside the presidential palace in Nicosia, Cyprus, with many holding up banners with slogans against Iran's government and in favor of Pahlavi.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says at least 7,005 people were killed in last month's protests, including 214 government forces. It has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists inside Iran to verify deaths.

Iran’s government offered its only death toll on Jan. 21, saying 3,117 people were killed. Iran’s theocracy in the past has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest.

The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll, given authorities have disrupted internet access and international calls in Iran.

Iranian leaders are facing renewed pressure from Trump, who has threatened U.S. military action. Trump wants Iran to further scale back its nuclear program. He suggested Friday that regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen."

Iran was also the focus of protests in Munich on Friday, the opening day of an annual security conference in the city gathering European leaders and global security figures. Supporters of the Iranian opposition group People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, also known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, demonstrated.

Associated Press writer Cedar Attanasio contributed reporting from Seattle. Associated Press journalists John Leicester in Paris and Geir Moulson in Berlin also contributed.

Supporters of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi attend a demonstration in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Carrying a huge lion and sun flag, supporters of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi attend a demonstration in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Supporters of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi attend a demonstration in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Carrying a huge lion and sun flag, supporters of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi attend a demonstration in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Supporters of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi carry a banner presenting the people were killed in Iran during recent uprising, while attending a demonstration in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Supporters of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi carry a banner presenting the people were killed in Iran during recent uprising, while attending a demonstration in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Supporters of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi attend a demonstration in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Supporters of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi attend a demonstration in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

United States Senator Lindsey Graham , SC, waves to supports of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi at a demonstration during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

United States Senator Lindsey Graham , SC, speaks to supports of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi at a demonstration during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

United States Senator Lindsey Graham , SC, speaks to supports of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi at a demonstration during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Supports of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi stand under a huge historic Iranian flag as they attend a demonstration during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Reza Pahlavi, son of the former Iranian Shah, attends a press conference at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday Feb. 14, 2026. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Supports of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi attend a demonstration during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Supports of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi attend a demonstration during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Supporters of the Iranian opposition organisation People's Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran, PMOI, also known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, MEK, show posters of people, they said was killed during the protests in Iran, at a demonstration during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, takes part at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Supporters of the Iranian opposition organisation People's Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran, PMOI, also known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, MEK, attend a protest during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Robert MacIntyre added the Valero Texas Open this year to be sharp for the Masters, and he looked every bit of that Friday with four birdies in his last five holes for an 8-under 64 and a four-shot lead over Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg.

MacIntyre felt comfortable with his swing from start, taking advantage of a back nine that included a hybrid that rolled out to 8 feet for eagle on the par-5 14th.

What made the difference was his finish, with all four of the Scot's birdies from 10 feet or closer.

He was in the same group as Aberg, whose 67 included holing out with a wedge from 120 yards for eagle on the par-4 sixth. The Swede's only disappointing was missing the fairway on his final hole at No. 9 and three-putting from 100 feet.

MacIntyre was at 14-under 130.

“I didn’t play last year, just went straight into Augusta. This was an adjustment for that reason,” MacIntyre said. “I wanted to be sharp — or sharper — going into Augusta.”

The Texas Open is the last chance for so many others to get into the Masters with a win, though MacIntyre is starting to make those odds seem a little bit longer.

Tony Finau, who hasn't missed the Masters since 2017, was one shot out of the lead going into the second round when he had three bogeys in six holes at the start. He had to rally for a 69, which included a 35-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th. That put him five shots behind, along with Kevin Roy, Bud Cauley and Thorbjorn Olesen.

“It was nice to make an eagle on the last,” Finau said. “I hit a really good drive, pushed my second shot a little, got lucky, covered the water and was able to roll that one in. Sometimes those are the small little breaks that you need to be towards the top of the leaderboard.”

Mark Hubbard, who led after 18 holes with a 65, followed that with a 77 to make the cut on the number at 2-under 142. He went from one shot ahead to 12 shots behind.

Aberg said he has moved on from his rough back nine that cost him at The Players Championship two weeks ago. He has another chance over the final 36 holes at the TPC San Antonio, and that's all that mattered to him.

“I feel great. I feel like I’ve been playing good golf,” Aberg said. “For me, golf is about putting yourself in situations where you can win tournaments. I feel like I haven’t really done that very well the last 12 months or so, but starting to see it now, which has been really nice. So I’m looking forward to one more shot at it this week.”

MacIntyre is trying to become the third straight left-handed player to win the Texas Open, following Brian Harman last year and Akshay Bhatia in 2024.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Hideki Matsuyama watches his drive during the second round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament in San Antonio, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)

Dylan Wu lies down for a better angle during the second round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament in San Antonio, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)

Robert MacIntyre hits onto the green on hole 1 during the second round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament in San Antonio, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)

Ludvig Aberg waves to fans during the second round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament in San Antonio, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)