Iran protests: Who is exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, son of last Shah, ousted in 1979 by Khomeini, now drawing huge support
Who is Reza Pahalavi: Tens of thousands of Iranians heeded exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi's call to protest the clerical leadership, filling streets nationwide. These demonstrations, driven by economic hardship, mark a new phase testing public support for figures once distant from everyday Iranians, as security forces respond with force.
Tens of thousands of Iranians filled the streets of Tehran and other major cities this week, heeding a call by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to protest against the religious clerical leadership led by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, even as the government cut off internet and phone services nationwide. The demonstrations mark a dramatic new phase in unrest that began more than a week ago over economic hardship and are now testing public support for figures once thought distant from everyday Iranians.
The protests, which have spread to at least 90 cities across Iran, are driven by waning patience over spiralling prices, job losses and a deepening economic crisis. Security forces have responded with force, and at least 42 people have died, while thousands have been detained.
Iran protests escalate after Reza Pahlavi's call from exile
On Thursday evening, crowds poured into the streets and chanted slogans against the ruling clerics and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, even as authorities cut off internet access and telephone lines across the country in a sweeping communications blackout. The blackout came just hours after Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last monarch, called for nationwide demonstrations, urging people to “shout their demands” from streets, rooftops and even their homes.
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“Great nation of Iran, the eyes of the world are upon you. Take to the streets and, as a united front, shout your demands,” Pahlavi said in a public statement shared on social media.
Who is Iranian exiled crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Reza Pahlavi was born on October 31, 1960, in Tehran as the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Iran’s last monarch, and Empress Farah. His family ruled until the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the shah was forced into exile.
Pahlavi was named crown prince as a child and left Iran with his family in 1978, months before the revolution ended centuries of monarchical rule and installed a theocratic government under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Since then, he has lived mostly abroad and emerged as a vocal critic of the Islamic Republic. In recent years, Pahlavi has urged secular reforms and called on Iranians, including security forces, to reject the current regime.