The name Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has emerged prominently during the current protests that have swept the country over recent days.
Pahlavi, who resides in the United States, has openly appealed to US President Donald Trump for urgent intervention to overthrow the Iranian system. He has also addressed the public through numerous recorded statements, presenting himself as the “heir to the throne” and calling on military leaders to defect.
For years, with the rise of social media platforms, Pahlavi has established official accounts and is accused of wielding broad influence over the political discourse of Iran International, the most prominent opposition media outlet targeting the Iranian system.
Heir to the Shah
Reza Pahlavi, also known as Reza Pahlavi II, is the eldest son of Iran’s last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Empress Farah Diba. He was born on 31 October 1960 in Tehran.
Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the family left Iran and settled in exile. Reza currently lives in the US state of Maryland. He is married to Yasmine Etemad-Amini, and they have three daughters.
Pahlavi was educated in American schools and trained as a pilot in the US Air Force. He has not held any official position in Iran since the revolution.
Opposition from Exile
Since the 1980s, Reza Pahlavi has become a symbol of Iranian opposition in exile, calling for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic and the rebuilding of Iran as a secular democratic state.
He promotes himself as a potential transitional leader, claiming that he does not seek to restore the monarchy by force but supports a popular referendum to determine the future system of governance.
He participated in protest movements such as the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in 2022 and called for general strikes and street mobilisation to bring down the system, declaring his readiness to return to Iran. He also focuses on what he describes as key national issues, including the water crisis, proposing cooperation with international experts to find practical solutions.
Close Ties with the Occupation
Reza Pahlavi’s relationship with Israel represents a central aspect of his political activity. During his father’s rule, Iran was among the first states to recognise the Israeli occupation in 1950, and relations included economic, intelligence, and military cooperation.
After the revolution, these relations were severed, but Reza Pahlavi has stated clearly that he seeks to revive them as part of his strategy to confront the current Iranian system.
In April 2023, he visited Israel following an official invitation from Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel. He met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, and visited the Western Wall in occupied Jerusalem.
During that visit, Pahlavi discussed cooperation in water management, praising Israeli experts as “the best in the field”. He also called for normalisation between Tehran and Tel Aviv through what he termed the “Cyrus Accords”, drawing on the figure of the Persian king Cyrus the Great and his symbolism in freeing Jews from captivity.
Pahlavi considers Israel a strategic ally against the Islamic Republic. He expressed support for Tel Aviv during the aggression against Iran in October 2024, stating that “the war is not the war of the Iranian people, but a war on Khamenei”, and called for backing the Iranian people to bring an end to the system.
Pahlavi has met several times with Israeli officials, foremost among them Benjamin Netanyahu.
A Complex Network
Reza’s activity is not limited to public statements. He manages a complex network of international political pressure. He works closely with the Foundation for Defence of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, a think tank known for its hardline positions and strong support for Israel. Through this coordination, his meetings with the Israeli right have been organised to promote his image as a “ready alternative” to the Iranian system.
Pahlavi presents himself in Western and Israeli intelligence circles as a “national proxy”, asserting that change in Iran should occur through civil disobedience supported by targeted strikes against the system’s power centres, rather than a full-scale military invasion.
Family and Personal Role
His wife, Yasmine, plays a central role in attracting Iranian youth and women through social media platforms, focusing on issues of personal freedoms and modernity. This reinforces the image of a “saviour family” that Reza seeks to project to audiences inside Iran.
His middle daughter, Iman Pahlavi, became engaged in 2023 to American businessman Bradley Sherman from a Jewish family.
Despite all these activities, Pahlavi does not enjoy broad acceptance on the Iranian street. This has led US President Donald Trump to regard him as an “unsuitable” figure to lead matters in Tehran should the current system fall.
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