One of the best-known figures amid the ongoing popular uprising in Iran is Reza Pahlavi (born 31 October 1960), the exiled crown prince of Iran and the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last monarch of Iran, who was overthrown in the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Reza Pahlavi has presented himself at different times as a dynastic claimant—including declaring himself “shah” in exile after his father’s death in 1980—while more recently emphasizing that he is not seeking personal power and supports a democratic transition decided by Iranians.
Early Life and Education
Reza Pahlavi was officially named crown prince during his father’s reign and was raised within a royal environment, with much of his childhood kept insulated from the wider public.
In 1978, at age 17, he left Iran for pilot training in the United States (Reese Air Force Base, Lubbock, Texas). After the revolution and years in exile, he completed U.S. Air Force training as a jet pilot and later earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Southern California (1985).
Exile and the End of the Monarchy
The Iranian Revolution forced the royal family to flee in January 1979, ending the monarchy after a subsequent referendum and the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
Following his father’s death in exile in 1980, Reza Pahlavi declared himself “shah” in exile during a ceremony in Cairo—an act that fuels the “claiming the throne” narrative around him.
Since the 1980s, Reza Pahlavi has sought to remain a public opposition voice against the Islamic Republic from abroad, using international media and diaspora networks. Available sources describe him as an exiled opposition figure advocating regime change and a more secular government for Iran. He has acted as a dynastic heir and, after 1980, used royal language and symbolism associated with succession.
At the same time, he has repeatedly argued that Iran’s future political system should be chosen by Iranians—often framed as support for a referendum and a non-violent, democratic transition—and he has insisted he is not seeking political power.
In a Reuters report on his 23 June 2025 Paris press conference, Pahlavi framed a transition around territorial integrity, individual freedoms and equality, and the separation of religion and state, while stating he was not seeking political power.
Britannica similarly notes that he has advocated a secular political direction and, at times, promoted the idea of a transition plan while arguing that the country would not fall into chaos if the Islamic Republic were to collapse.
International Visibility and Controversy
Pahlavi’s international profile rises during moments of crisis. For example, Reuters described him in 2025 as “the last heir to the Iranian monarchy,” calling on Western governments to recognize that only a democratic transition can deliver lasting regional stability.
At the same time, Reuters emphasized that his level of support inside Iran is unclear and that the opposition is fragmented—one reason his role remains disputed.
He married Yasmine Etemad-Amini, and they have three daughters. He has lived much of his adult life in the United States.
The Contested Legacy: The “Dark Past” of the Pahlavi Family
In modern Iran, the Pahlavi period is remembered in sharply different ways: some emphasize modernization and state-building, while others stress repression and the collapse of democratic institutions.
The autocracy of Mohammad Reza Shah’s rule intensified after the 1953 coup, when the United States and the United Kingdom helped restore him to power after he fled amid a confrontation with Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.
Britannica’s entry on the 1953 coup in Iran explicitly describes it as funded by the U.S. and U.K., removing Mosaddegh and restoring Mohammad Reza Shah as Iran’s leader.
Amnesty International’s 1976 report describes Iran as a constitutional monarchy “in theory,” but says that in practice the Crown was the sole source of authority. It identifies SAVAK (the intelligence/security organization formed in 1957) as a central instrument used to suppress political opposition and create an atmosphere of fear.
The same Amnesty report documents serious due-process concerns for political detainees (including incommunicado detention and limited access to counsel) and includes detailed allegations of torture attributed to detention and interrogation practices. [amnesty.org]
Amnesty reports that in 1975 the shah abolished even token party pluralism and introduced a one-party system (the Rastakhiz/National Resurgence Party), reportedly warning that those who refused to support it should leave the country or go to prison. That arrangement—eliminating meaningful party competition—aligns with standard definitions of an anti-democratic system.
Modernization Paired with Authoritarianism
Sources note that the shah pursued aggressive modernization through the White Revolution, while also highlighting that opposition grew due to perceptions of autocratic rule, corruption, unequal distribution of oil wealth, forced Westernization, and repression—factors that contributed to the revolutionary momentum of 1978–79.
Amnesty’s report similarly portrays a political environment in which expansive state security powers and weak safeguards undermined civil liberties and open political contestation.
Photo: Politico