Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi called for all able Iranian citizens to take to the streets to protest the Islamic government despite thousands of casualties, arguing that they were embroiled in a “war.”

The current round of bloody protests, beginning on Dec. 28 over dire economic conditions, has quickly escalated to the greatest threat to Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The government has responded with relentless force, killing anywhere from 500 to 6,000 protesters, according to some estimates. The protests are also unique for often invoking Pahlavi as the alternative to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a role the crown prince has embraced. He was interviewed on NBC News on Monday, where he urged Iranian citizens to intensify their efforts and beg the United States to intervene.