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Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran
Head of the Pahlavi dynasty (born 1960) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Reza Pahlavi[a] (born 31 October 1960) is an Iranian opposition leader and a proponent of liberal democracy in Iran. He is the current Leader of the Iranian Transitional Government since February 2025. A member of the Pahlavi dynasty, he is the eldest son of Farah Diba and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last shah of Iran.
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Reza Pahlavi has been called the "poster boy of the democracy movement" in Iran. He is the founder and leader of the National Council of Iran, an exiled Iranian opposition group.[3] He is also a proponent of a free referendum in Iran to determine the nature of the future government. He was officially named Crown Prince of Iran in 1967 at the time of his father's coronation. A US trained fighter pilot, Pahlavi offered his service to Iran during the Iran–Iraq War but was refused by the Iranian government. He is a participant in the Iranian democracy movement, and is a prominent critic of Iran's Islamic Republic government. Pahlavi has repeatedly called for protests against the Islamic Republic and its removal.
Pahlavi has advocated for Iran to become an ally of the West and Europe. According to the Daily Telegraph, Pahlavi has recognition both within and outside Iran as well as plans to reform Iran. The Atlantic Council has suggested he is a unifying figure of the Iranian opposition. In February 2025, Pahlavi was selected by various factions of the Iranian opposition as the leader of the opposition as well as the leader of the future transitional government "until the formation of the first national assembly and the commencement of a democratic government through free elections".
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Early life and education
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Reza Pahlavi was born in Tehran as the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran and Farah Pahlavi, the Shahbanu of Iran. Pahlavi's siblings include his sister Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi (born 1963), brother Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi (1966–2011), and sister Princess Leila Pahlavi (1970–2001), as well as a half-sister, Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi (born 1940).
When he was born, the Shah pardoned 98 political prisoners, and the government declared a 20% reduction in income tax.[4] He studied at the eponymous "Reza Pahlavi School", a private school located in the royal palace and restricted to the imperial family and court associates.[5] He was trained as a pilot; his first solo flight was at the age of 11, and he obtained his license a year later.[6] He was a supporter of Taj Abadan football club.[7]
As a cadet of the Imperial Iranian Air Force, he was sent to the United States in August 1978 to continue his pilot training. He was one of 43 cadet pilots in the one-year pilot training program at the former Reese Air Force Base, TX, which included flying the Cessna T-37 Tweet and Northrop T-38 Talon. As a result of the Iranian Revolution, he left the base in March 1979, about four months earlier than planned.[6][8]
Pahlavi began studies at Williams College in September 1979,[9] but dropped out in 1980.[10] He then enrolled at The American University in Cairo as a political science student, but his attendance was irregular.[11] In 1981, it was reported that he had dropped out of the program and continued his studies privately with Iranian professors, with a focus on Persian culture and history, Islamic philosophy, and oil in Iran.[12]
After the Islamic revolution with the eruption in 1980 of the Iraq-Iran war, Pahlavi offered his services as a fighter pilot to fight for Iran. His offer was declined.[13]
Pahlavi obtained a BSc degree in political science by correspondence from the University of Southern California in 1985. He is fluent in English and French in addition to his native Persian.[9]
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Political activities in exile
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Reza Pahlavi came to Cairo, Egypt, in March 1980 with his family.[1] When his father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was ill and in the last weeks of his life, media reported that some monarchist elements had advised the Shah to oust Reza in favor of his younger son Ali Reza (who was 13 at the time) and a regency council, suggesting that Reza's background, training and interest in public affairs were too limited to become his successor. The Shah was understood to have rejected the idea and abdicated himself in favor of one of his two sons.[14] When the Shah died on 27 July 1980, Farah Pahlavi proclaimed herself as the regent, a title in pretense.[1] On his 20th birthday on 31 October, Reza Pahlavi declared himself to be the new king of Iran, Reza Shah II, and the rightful successor to the throne of the Pahlavi dynasty.[15] Immediately afterward a spokesman for the United States Department of State, John Trattner, disassociated the U.S. government from Reza Pahlavi by stating that his government did not intend to support him, assuring that they recognized the Iranian government.[16]
During 1981, Pahlavi remained in the Koubbeh Palace and developed close ties to pro-monarchy groups while facing rejection from other opposition groups, including left-wing dissidents.[12] In March, he issued a statement for the Persian New Year. He urged all opponents of the Iranian government to unite behind him and wage a "national resistance". Still, he chose to remain silent and made no reaction when President Abolhassan Banisadr was deposed, and the assassination of tens of officials including Chief Justice Mohammad Beheshti took place in June.[12] In August, Pahlavi announced that he had been secretly planning to overthrow the Iranian government, stating, "So far I have been unwilling to unveil the existence of the concerted plans for I do not wish to jeopardize the lives of some of our best children... many of our actions have been unknown to you, but I want to assure you that the necessary steps are being taken in the best orderly way to save Iran".[17]
In 1982, Yaakov Nimrodi told BBC in a radio interview that along with Adolph Schwimmer and Adnan Khashoggi, he was involved with Pahlavi and Gen. Said Razvani to scheme a coup d'état and install him in Iran.[18] According to Samuel Segev, the plan had the approval of both the CIA and the Israeli cabinet, but it was abandoned when PM Menachem Begin resigned in 1983 and the new leadership under Yitzhak Shamir "thought Israel should not be involved in a new adventure".[18]
On 1 May 1986, Pahlavi disclosed that he had recently formed a government-in-exile to establish a constitutional monarchy again in Iran.[19]
On his website, Pahlavi has said that the state of Iran should become democratic and secular, and human rights should be respected. Whether the form of government would be that of a constitutional monarchy or a republic, he would like to leave up to the people of Iran.[20][21]
Pahlavi has used his high profile as an Iranian abroad to campaign for human rights, democracy, and unity among Iranians in and outside Iran.[22] On his website, he calls for a separation of religion and state in Iran and free and fair elections "for all freedom-loving individuals and political ideologies". He exhorts all groups dedicated to a democratic agenda to work together for a democratic and secular Iranian government.[23]
In February 2011, after violence erupted in Tehran, Pahlavi said that Iran's youth were determined to get rid of an authoritarian government tainted by corruption and misrule in the hope of installing a democracy. "Fundamental and necessary change is long overdue for our region, and we have a whole generation of young Egyptians and Iranians not willing to take no for an answer", he told The Daily Telegraph. "Democratization is now imperative that cannot be denied. It is only a matter of time before the whole region can transform itself."[24]
In June 2018, he commented: "I believe Iran must be a secular, parliamentary democracy. The final form has to be decided by the people."[25] In a presentation at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in December 2018, Pahlavi called for the non-military support of those in Iran who were trying to replace the Islamist regime with a secular democracy. According to a news report, he was "not openly calling for the restoration of the Peacock Throne ... He casts himself more as a symbol than a politician, but has called himself 'ready to serve my country'".[26]
During anti-government demonstrations in Iran in 2022 following the Abadan building collapse, Pahlavi predicted that the Islamic regime would collapse in the near future as events such as the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, bans on importing foreign COVID-19 vaccines and tests into the country and rising food prices had led to unnecessary deaths and would provoke further anger at government mismanagement from the population. He also urged members of the Iranian armed forces who oppose the Islamic Republic but work for the government to engage in peaceful disruption and called for a coordinated front against the regime. While acknowledging support from Iranian demonstrators chanting for the return of the monarchy, he also stated, "The most important thing I do in response to the Iranian people's trust is to reinforce their voices. I don't tell them what to do. I'm not a political leader."[27]
In a February 2023 interview with The Daily Telegraph, Pahlavi called on the British and European governments to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arguing such a move would be "pulling out the biggest tooth the regime has". In the interview, he also argued his belief that the Islamic Republic was more likely to fall in the near future than it had been in previous decades as Iranian reformists had switched tactics to wanting to completely overthrow the regime as opposed to changing it. He acknowledged many Iranian dissidents wanted him to play a central role in creating a new government but reiterated that he would leave it to the people of Iran on whether to restore the throne and that he would not run for political office if the regime fell. Pahlavi also predicted that the greatest challenge for a new secular, liberal democratic Iran would be the question of controlling the military and seeking justice against officials in the regime. He concluded that higher-ranking members of the Islamic regime would face trials for human rights abuses but lower ranking members could be pardoned to allow reintegration into society, citing the Nuremberg trials in which top Nazi officials were prosecuted while lower ranking members were reintegrated back into Germany, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings in South Africa after the end of apartheid as examples to follow.[28]
In March 2023, Pahlavi embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom and gave a speech to the Oxford Union. During the speech, he argued that "secular[ism] is a prerequisite to democracy" and that Islamic regimes fail by not accepting freedom of religion. He called for the right to Internet access to be restored to Iran to help communication between dissident movements and for non-violent tactics to be used in bringing down the Iranian regime. During the speech, a large demonstration took place outside in support of Pahlavi calling for his restoration.[29][30]
On 17 April 2023, he and his wife Yasmine visited Israel in "an effort to rebuild the historic relations between Iran and Israel". Upon his arrival to Israel, he visited the Western Wall and Yad Vashem on the occasion of Yom HaShoah, and met with President of Israel Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.[31][32][33] He also paid a condolence call to the bereaved Dee family at their home in the West Bank settlement of Efrat on Tuesday, after the deaths of sisters Maia and Rina and their mother Lucy in a deadly terror shooting during the Passover holiday.[34]
In 2023, the Atlantic council suggested Pahlavi can be a unifying figure of the Iranian opposition.[13]
In 2024 Worldcrunch identified Pahlavi as "The Most Direct Path To Iranian Democracy".[35] Worldcrunch editors reported that they believed that Pahlavi is the most unifying figure of the Iranian opposition. [35] Worldcrunch said Pahlavi as crown prince presents the continuity of Iranian history and thus an alternative narrative to that of the ayatollah regime for the future of Iran.[35]
Succession
Reza Pahlavi II is first in the line of succession to his late father. In contrast, his younger brother Ali-Reza Pahlavi II was second in line until his death by suicide in 2011.[36] Before Reza Pahlavi's birth, the presumptive heir was Patrick Ali Pahlavi, the crown prince's cousin.
In February 2019, Reza Pahlavi launched the Phoenix Project of Iran initiative. According to the National Interest, this is "designed to bring the various strains of the opposition closer to a common vision for a post-clerical Iran".[37]
Within Iran
A report published by the Brookings Institution in 2009 said that Pahlavi lacked an organized following within Iran since there was no serious monarchist movement in Iran itself. The report described Pahlavi as having "little in common with the intellectuals and students who make up the core of the reform movement".[38]
During 2017–18 Iranian protests, some videos on social media showed demonstrators chanting slogans in favor of Pahlavi's grandfather and calling for his return.[39][40] On many occasions the videos indicated the royalist slogans prompt others in the crowd to shout the slogans down.[41]
In January 2023, New York-based Iranian scholar and writer Arash Azizi noted that among younger Iranians on social media and at public demonstrations support for Pahlavi has become more visible and argued "To any fair observer of Iran, Pahlavi has a certain degree of support in Iranian society, although it is hard to discern just how wide this support is." He also noted that a number of Iranian dissident activists and celebrities including Dariush Eghbali (who had been imprisoned under the Shah's rule), actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, actor Hamid Farrokhnezhad and Olympian Kimia Alizadeh have come out in support of Pahlavi being a figurehead to unite anti-regime movements. Tehran based intellectual Khashayar Dayhimi opined "I believe that, if there was a referendum today and Reza Pahlavi was on the ballot, he'd easily win because people don't know anyone other than him."[42]
The university of Navarra published an article in 2023 in which they found there was support for Pahlavi within Iran as well as the usage of slogans such as “Pahlavi is our choice, the leader of our revolution.” and “Pahlavi, you are our representative”.[43]
In 2024 a poll conducted by an American research institute found that almost 80% of Iranians prefer Pahlavi over the current Islamic Republic leadership.[44]
In 2025, Saeed Ghasseminejad of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies told Politico that Pahlavi is the only Iranian opposition leader with both name recognition and sufficient support to lead a replacement for the Islamic Republic.[45]
Among Iranian expatriates
Pahlavi enjoys wide popularity with the older generation of Iranian expatriates that left Iran during the 1979 revolution and with some people in Iran.[46][better source needed] In 2006, Connie Bruck of The New Yorker wrote that Los Angeles is home to about 600,000 Iranian expatriates, and said it was a monarchist stronghold.[47]
A 2013 survey of Iranian-Americans conducted by George Mason University's Center for Social Science Research found that 85% of respondents did not support any Iranian opposition groups or figures. Of the remaining 15% who expressed support, 20% backed him.[48]
Support during the Mahsa Amini protests
In a recent attempt in 2023 to garner support for Reza Pahlavi as a representative for transition, a petition was created on the platform Change.org that has amassed over 460,000 signatures.[49]
Reza Pahlavi asked Iranians worldwide to protest against the Islamic Republic on its 44th anniversary, February 11, 2023. As a result, people rallied in multiple cities in the US, Europe, Australia, and Canada.[50][51][52] Reza Pahlavi himself participated in LA rally where a crowd of more than 80,000 showed up.[53]
July 2024 speech
In July 2024, Pahlavi was invited to speak at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, D.C. In his speech, Pahlavi blamed the Iranian regime for the spread of radical Islam to other nations in the Middle East and the West following the revolution and promised that Iranians will take Iran back in the near future. He also argued that Masoud Pezeshkian was not a "moderate" politician due to his friendship with Hezbollah. He warned the United States not to launch a military campaign against the regime, arguing "the problem that began in Iran must be ended in Iran" and concluded "the soon to be free Iran, doesn't seek your patronage. It seeks your partnership. It doesn't seek your funding. It seeks your friendship.”[54]
In an essay for The Daily Telegraph, he called for the IRGC to be designated terror group by British government for its funding of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, as well as their suppression of Zan Zendegi Azadi.[55]
2024–2025
 | This section may require copy editing. (November 2024) |
In a statement dated 14 November 2024 published on various media platforms, Pahlavi called on Iranians to "reclaim and save our beloved Iran", offering to "guide this change and lead the transitional period",[56][57] but "did not directly address" how the Islamic Republic regime might be removed.[58]
In January and February 2025 he advised U.S. President Donald Trump not to make an agreement with the Islamic Republic to limit Iran's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.[59]
During the 2025 Iran–Israel war, following Iranian blackout of the internet, Pahlavi said the blackout "is a sign of panic not strength.”[60] Pahlavi said in the same interview he viewed the destruction of Iran's military infrastructure and possessions such as airbases and fighter jets as a loss. Pahlavi said that the war was not that of the Iranian people but Khamenei's war and that it was the Iranian people who are paying the price.[60]
Maryam Aslany, a sociology fellow at Yale university who is described by Politico as a supporter of Pahlavi said “He is a very strong leader who is very trusted, very popular, and who has principles that are deeply respected by the Iranian people,”[45] Saeed Ghasseminejad of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies described Pahlavi as being consistent in his calls for freedom for Iranians as well as in his openess to whatever form of government Iranians chose, whether a constitutional monarchy or a republic.[45]
Munich Conference
In February 2025, the Munich Security Conference invited Reza Pahlavi to attend the event, but following pressure from the Islamic Republic, the invitation was withdrawn. Shortly after, he was again invited to participate in the conference, only for that invitation to be cancelled. Reza Pahlavi condemned this decision as "a betrayal of the Iranian people and the democratic values of Germany", stating, "the German government has not only silenced the voice of the Iranian people, but has also directly aligned itself with the Islamic Republic".[61][62][63][64]
At a "Munich Convergence Summit" in Munich 18 February, with the participation of a number of Iranian opposition organizations, Reza Pahlavi stated, "Our goal today is solely the salvation of Iran, and in the future our mission is to hold free elections in Iran".[65][66] He added that “the collapse within the regime has begun and must be broadened". He stressed that "our goal" should be to "establish a mechanism for cooperation" among different groups, rather than to create another opposition organizations.[65] He further emphasized, "Our future duty is to establish in the Constituent Assembly a democratic path based on the people's vote—and in contrast to the practices of 1978—wherein all possible options regarding the content and final form of Iran's new system are discussed transparently. The Constituent Assembly project will soon be presented to the people to outline how a national referendum via ballot boxes will be conducted for a democratic future and a secular system".[67]
At the Convergence Summit, it was agreed that Prince Reza Pahlavi should assume the role of "the leader of the national revolution and transitional period until the election of the first parliament and the establishment of a democratic government through free elections". The statement declared: "Based on the will of the Iranian nation—as reflected in the slogans and messages of recent years—we consider Prince Reza Pahlavi to be the leader of the national revolution and transitional period until the formation of the first national assembly and the commencement of a democratic government through free elections, and we will support him with all our might".[66]
At the same time, a group of Iranians organized a protest rally on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, protesting against the conciliatory policies of the European Union toward the Islamic Republic, particularly those of the German government.[68]
Strategies for overthrowing the Islamic Republic
At the Geneva Human Rights Meeting on February 20, Prince Reza Pahlavi presented five key strategies for overthrowing the Islamic Republic and rebuilding Iran, including:
- mobilizing grassroots networks within the country;
- uniting the Iranian diaspora;
- exerting maximum pressure on the governments of the G20 to support the Iranian people;
- creating a rift within the regime's structure to encourage defections; and
- preparing for political stabilization and the holding of democratic elections.[69][70]
Other issues addressed
- Role of women. He recalled that the very first action taken by Ruhollah Khomeini was the abrogation of the Family Protection Law, stating: "Let me be clear; Iranian women are not merely fighting against the compulsory hijab in Iran. Their struggle is not for a mere piece of cloth, but for reclaiming equality and their country". He also cited the courage of women such as Fatemeh Sepehri, Nasrin Shakeri, and Nahid Shirpishe, who continue to resist despite imprisonment and persecution.[69][70]
- Environmental destruction. Under the Islamic Republic: Lake Urmia and rivers such as the Zayandeh have dried up. "The air pollution in Tehran and Ahvaz is among the worst in the world. Pollution in Iran often reaches toxic levels, forcing schools and businesses to close, and those who dare to speak out—such as environmental activists like Kavous Seyed Amami—are imprisoned or killed". He denounced these actions as a crime against both the environment and the people of Iran.[69][70]
- Economic and social crises. "In a country that should be one of the wealthiest in the world, a growing number of my compatriots cannot even afford to buy bread, let alone meat".
- Energy. A country "sitting on the world's second largest gas reserves is experiencing widespread power outages. Patients die in hospitals, businesses go bankrupt, and families are left in darkness".[69][70]
- During the 2025 Iran–Israel war as the Israeli government discussed regime change in Iran, Pahlavi was the most floated potential successor to the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Interview to The Daily Telegraph
On February 23, 2025, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Pahlavi called on Europe and Americans to prepare for impending collapse of regime in Tehran. In this interview, The Telegraph described the support for Pahlavi as "even critics acknowledge Pahlavi at least has a plan for reform, and a rare degree of public recognition both inside and outside Iran".[71]
Iran-Israel War
On 17 June 2025, amidst the Israel-Iran war, Pahlavi delivered a statement declaring that the Islamic Republic of Iran is "on the verge of collapse." He emphasized that internal divisions and defections within the regime signal its impending downfall. Pahlavi expressed confidence that the Iranian people, who have long resisted oppression, will soon achieve liberation. He also affirmed that plans are in place to transition Iran to a democratic system once the regime falls. Pahlavi addressed the Iranian military and security forces, urging them to abandon the regime and join the people's movement for change.[72][73]
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Political views
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According to ABC news, Reza Pahlavi believes in the establishment of a secular, democratic and liberal Iran.[74]
Pahlavi has stated that he has no intention of attaining a long term leadership role in Iran after a future transitional period after the end of the regime, saying it is the choice of the Iranian people what form of rule they prefer, whether constitutional monarchy or a republic.[74] Pahlavi advocates for a free referendum in Iran in which the Iranian people will have the ability to decide.[74] Pahlavi has stated that following the Islamic revolution in 1979 he concluded the merit of "separation of religion from state as a primordial principle and precondition to democratic order".[74] Pahlavi told to the BBC in an interview that he personally prefers Iran choses to become a republic since he views it as more meritocratic.[75] According to a GAMAAN poll of 158,000 Iranians, 80% of Iranians wish to replace the Islamic Republic with a democratic government.[74][76] The GAMAAN poll also found Reza Pahlavi is the top candidate to form a transitionary solidarity council of Iran, acquiring between 32 to 40 of support among 34 candidates.[74][76]
Pahlavi has advocated for increased tolerance within Iran, arguing for the establishment of watchdogs and the strengthening of civil society in order to avoid the concentration of power in one group.[74][77] Pahlavi was called the poster boy for democracy movement in Iran.[77] Pahlavi is said to have defended a democratic vision for Iran, advocating for free elections in order to establish a constituent assembly.[78] According to the university of Navarra, Pahlavi "has refused to commit to the restoration of the monarchy".[43] Pahlavi told European members of parliament that Iran following the demise of the regime would be an ally of Europe and the West.[43] Pahlavi has said he believes Iranian democracy must be secular and based on human rights. Furthermore, Pahlavi believes in the maintaining of Iran's territorial integrity.[43]
According to ABC news, Pahlavi said "The role that I'm offering in this process of transition is to be of help to maintain a smooth process — to maximise the participation of democratic forces in this process," regarding his future role.[74]
Reza Pahlavi and the Iranian opposition has called for democratic countries to support the Iranian opposition's efforts in removing the Islamic regime and establishing a secular democracy in Iran.[74] Pahlavi says that he and the opposition are representatives of the Iranian democracy movement whose activists are jailed and also tortured by the Islamic regime in Iran.[74] Some Iranian activists are executed.[74] Pahlavi is in contact with dissidents within Iran.[74]
According to Iranian activist and journalist Homa Sarshar, Pahlavi "has been consistent in his messaging".[74] Sarshar believes Pahlavi should be part of a coalition. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies has said that one representative could assist in amplifying the Iranian message.[74]
Regarding the possibility of chaos if the Islamic regime collapses, Pahlavi said that unlike other countries who underwent a chaotic transition, Iran is an ancient civilization, saying "“We are not Iraq or Afghanistan. We are a nation with millennia of unity. If there’s rule of law and justice, there will be no anarchy.”"[60] Pahlavi stated in the interview that there will be no civil war.[60]
Reza Pahlavi promised in a June 2025 interview to Iran international that he would ensure "a lawful transition". Pahlavi stated that experts in transitional justice will ensure there are fair trials, promising every defendant the right to defend oneself in court. Pahlavi stated that unlike the 1979 revolution, no summary executions will be carried out. Pahlavi told Iran International that the transition will not be like the 1979 revolution. Pahlavi said they will ensure "equal rights for all Iranians—regardless of religion, ethnicity, or belief".[60]
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Iran Prosperity project
Foreign support
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Bob Woodward wrote in 1986 that the Reagan administration authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to support and fund Iranian exiles, including Pahlavi. The agency transmitted his 11-minute speech during which he vowed "I will return" to Iranian television by pirating its frequency.[79] The Tower Commission report, published in 1987, also acknowledged that the CIA was behind this event[80] while a group in Paris calling itself 'Flag of Freedom' had taken responsibility for the act in September 1986.[81]
James Mann wrote in February 1989 that when he asked the CIA about whether they helped Pahlavi, they refused to comment, and a spokesperson of the agency told him, "We would not confirm nor deny an intelligence matter".[82]
In 2006, Connie Bruck of The New Yorker wrote that "Pahlavi had CIA funding for several years in the eighties, but it ended after the Iran-Contra scandal".[47] Andrew Friedman of Haverford College states that Pahlavi began cooperation with the CIA after he met director William J. Casey and received a monthly stipend, citing Pahlavi's financial advisor and other observers. Friedman also connects his residence in Great Falls, Virginia to its proximity to George Bush Center for Intelligence, headquarters of the service.[83]
In 2009, Pahlavi denied receiving U.S. government or foreign aid in an interview with The New York Times. Pahlavi said "No, no. I don't rely on any sources other than my own compatriots" and denied allegations of working with the CIA, calling the allegations "absolutely and unequivocally false".[84] However, in 2017 he told Jon Gambrell of the Associated Press: "My focus right now is on liberating Iran, and I will find any means that I can, without compromising the national interests and independence, with anyone who is willing to give us a hand, whether it is the U.S. or the Saudis or the Israelis or whomever it is."[85]
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Personal life
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Relationships and marriage
According to a People article published in 1978, Pahlavi dated a "blond, blue-eyed Swedish model he met in Rome".[86] The same publication also reported that he lived with his girlfriend in Lubbock, Texas.[86] As of 1980, he had an Egyptian girlfriend who was a student of The American University in Cairo, reportedly "closely guarded" by bodyguards.[11]
Pahlavi began a relationship with Yasmine Etemad-Amini in 1985.[9] They married on June 12, 1986, in Greenwich, Connecticut; he was 25 and she was 17.[87] The couple have three daughters: Noor (born 3 April 1992), Iman (born 12 September 1993), and Farah (born 17 January 2004).
In 2004, Pahlavi was named the "unofficial godfather" of Princess Louise of Belgium, the eighth granddaughter of King Albert II of the Belgians.[88]
Hobbies
Pahlavi was a keen football player and spectator. He was a fan of the capital's football club Esteghlal, then known as Taj (lit. 'Crown'), and his support was even televised by the National Iranian Radio and Television. The club performed in annual rallies organized on his birthday, identifying the club with the Pahlavi regime.[89]
In 1981, UPI reported that Pahlavi attended the elite Gueziro Club in Cairo to watch tennis and was occasionally seen in discotheques at hotels in the vicinity of the Nile.[12]
Religious beliefs
When interviewed about religion, Pahlavi said, "That's a private matter, but if you must know, I am, of course, by education and conviction, a Shia Muslim. I am very much a man of faith."[84] Iranian writer Reza Bayegan also notes that Crown Prince Reza is alleged "deeply attached" to his Muslim faith. He has performed the Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca.[90]
On April 6, 2024, Prince Reza Pahlavi and Princess Yasmine Pahlavi visited the Bhandara Atash Kadeh Zoroastrian temple in Houston, Texas, and actively participated in the Yasna ceremony.[91] During his visit, Reza Pahlavi stated "Zoroastrianism is intertwined with Iranian history and civilization. Yasmine and I visited the Zoroastrian fire temple in Houston to honor this indigenous Iranian faith and show solidarity with our Zoroastrian compatriots and the Parsi community. Zoroastrianism, this ancient Iranian faith, has had a critical role in the development and progress of our great civilization. And I am convinced that its influence will only continue to grow as we see among our youth today."[92][93]
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Financial and legal issues
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Occupation
In 1989, The Washington Post reported that Pahlavi was unemployed.[9] Asked about his sources of income, he replied that he had been financially supported by "friends and family" in the past seven years.[9] In 2017, he told the Associated Press that since 1979 he had had no "side occupation" (about political activities), adding that his money came from his family and "many Iranians who have supported the cause".[85] According to a December 2018 news report by Politico, "he is thought to live mainly on what's left of his family wealth, his only full-time job being speaking out about Iran".[94]
Shahbazi v. Pahlavi
In 1990, Ali Haydar Shahbazi, a former Imperial Guard member who worked for Pahlavi as a longtime bodyguard, filed a lawsuit in the district court of Alexandria, Virginia, accusing Pahlavi of breaching Iranian tradition by breaking his pledge to take care of him financially.[95] Shahbazi, then aged 58, said in the court he abandoned more than $400,000 in property in Iran because Pahlavi assured him "I'm going to pay your expenses and everything. I'm going to take care of you better than my father [did]" when he was hired, and then fired him with a handshake and $9,000 in 1989.[95] Shahbazi asked compensation for the $30,000 in taxes and penalties as well as an undetermined amount of money for his retirement.[95] Pahlavi's attorney dismissed the claim, saying that Shahbazi has received gifts worth several thousand dollars and was allowed to live luxuriously in Pahlavi's house in Great Falls, Virginia, adding that the servant was fired because his client ran out of money.[96] Pahlavi agreed that Shahbazi was a loyal friend but he offered support as long as he could.[95] He also told the judge, "I was not involved in the day-to-day handling of my financial affairs".[95]
In 1991, District Judge Albert Vickers Bryan Jr. argued that Pahlavi "had little knowledge of how his estate's money was spent and could not be held personally accountable for employment agreements with servants", declaring the case dismissed.[96] According to media reports, Pahlavi began to cry in the court when the judge threw out the case.[97][96]
Ansari v. Pahlavi
In 1990, Pahlavi and Ahmad Ali Massoud Ansari, his close aide and financial adviser, filed lawsuits against each other.[98] Pahlavi accused Ansari of embezzlement amounting $24 million, while Ansari claimed $1.7 million lien against Pahlavi.[98] During the trial, Pahlavi's attorney told the court "[d]ue to the demands of his political responsibilities and his lack of experience in financial matters, Pahlavi had to trust completely in Ansari for the management of his funds... over the years, no one supplanted Ansari in any way in Pahlavi's trust. Conversely, no one betrayed Pahlavi's trust any more than Ansari", going further to accuse Ansari as "an agent" for the Islamic Republic of Iran.[98] Ansari denied the accusations and blamed Pahlavi for squandering the money with his extravagance, stating he faithfully carried out orders that Pahlavi was aware of.[98]
The court asked Ansari to provide a complete accounting of his money handling, but he alleged that the documents had been destroyed to prevent a potential seizure. In 1996, the court ruled that Ansari should repay $7.3 million to Pahlavi and fined him an additional $2 million.[98]
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Television network
In November 2014, Pahlavi founded his own television and radio network called Ofogh Iran;[99] in July 2017 it was reported that the Ofogh Iran International Media telethon no longer belonged to Pahlavi.[100]
Bibliography
- Gozashteh va Ayandeh, London: Kayham Publishing, 2000. (in Persian)
- Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran, Regnery Publishing Inc., 2002, ISBN 0-89526-191-X.[101]
- Iran: L'Heure du Choix, Denoël, 2009. (in French)
Honours
National
Sovereign and Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi (26 September 1967, Iran)
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi Coronation Medal (26 October 1967, Iran)
25th Centennial Anniversary Medal (14 October 1971, Iran)
Persepolis Medal (15 October 1971, Iran)
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Foreign
Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (24 November 1970, Sweden)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (15 December 1974, Italy)[102]
Knight of the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (19 April 1975, Spain)[103]
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (14 December 1976, France)
Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1976, Austria)[104]
Grand Collar of the Royal Order of the Drum (Rwanda)[105]
Knight of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (26 April 2023, House of Savoy)[106]
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Other recognitions
- Radio Farda's Person of The Year online poll (2011)[107]
- Key to the City of Beverly Hills (23 January 2017, Los Angeles, California)[108][109]
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Notes
- Persian: رضا پهلوی
References
External links
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