Amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled prince and son of Iran’s last Shah, has intensified his calls for a break between Iran’s security forces and the ruling theocracy. His appeal coincides with heightened regional tensions, as he urges a national shift away from the Islamic Republic and expresses hope for regime change in the aftermath of Israel’s airstrikes.
Blame on Iran’s Supreme Leader
In a public statement, Pahlavi placed direct responsibility for the country’s worsening geopolitical predicament on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom he blamed for drawing Iran into confrontation with Israel. He characterized the Iranian government as internally fractured and vulnerable, suggesting that its downfall is within reach.
Advocacy for Secular Democracy
A figurehead among opposition forces—many of whom are nostalgic for the pre-revolutionary monarchy—Pahlavi reiterated his longstanding call for a secular democracy rather than a return to royal rule. Although heir to the Peacock Throne, he has consistently positioned himself as a unifying symbol rather than an aspiring monarch, emphasizing national sovereignty and democratic reform over dynastic ambition.
Appeal to the International Community
Pahlavi has also addressed international actors, warning against any further legitimization or support of the current Iranian regime, which he labels as both “terrorist” and “moribund.” His comments reflect ongoing lobbying efforts, including previous correspondence with U.S. President Donald Trump, urging a hardline stance on Tehran.
A Life in Exile, Focused on Reform
Now 64, Pahlavi resides in exile near Washington, D.C., where he leads the National Council of Iran—an exile opposition group functioning as a form of shadow government. A graduate in political science from an American university, he has remained deeply involved in Iranian affairs despite being away from his homeland for nearly five decades.
His efforts have kept him in the spotlight across the Arab world, where he continues to cultivate strategic alliances, including maintaining warm ties with Israel reminiscent of those his father fostered before the 1979 revolution.
Personal Life and Dynastic Legacy
Pahlavi married Yasmine Etemad-Amini in 1986, and the couple has three daughters—Noor, Iman, and Farah. With no male heir, the line of succession to the symbolic throne falls to his cousin, Patrick Ali Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah’s brother.
