India, Jan. 13 -- Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi has called on US President Donald Trump to act "sooner rather than later" against Iran's clerical leadership, as nationwide protests continue and reports of a violent crackdown grow.

In an interview with CBS News, Pahlavi said, "We need action to be taken." He warned that any delay would only lead to more deaths."The best way to ensure that there will be less people killed in Iran is to intervene sooner, so this regime finally collapses and puts an end to all the problems that we are facing," he said.

Pahlavi has been living in exile since his father, Iran's last shah, was removed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He said he has been in contact with the Trump administration, though...