Jul 29, 2026 10:49 AM IST
US-Iran war live updates: Who is Reza Pahlavi? The exiled crown prince positioning himself as the face of a post-regime Iran
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah living in exile, has emerged as a leading voice for political transformation in Iran amidst the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel.
As reported by Reuters, Pahlavi has been active in campaigning across the US and Europe for years, advocating for a democratic shift in Iran. Just after the war began in February, he expressed on X: “The Iranian people have urged me to guide the transition once the regime falls. I have embraced that responsibility.”
At 64 years old, he is the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s final monarch, who was dethroned during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Having lived in exile for almost five decades, primarily in the US, Pahlavi has not returned to Iran since he left as a teenager.
Do Iranians want him back?
The answer is not straightforward.
Some Iranians, especially those in the diaspora, regard him as a potential unifying leader, while others resist any notion of reinstating the monarchy. Pahlavi has insisted he is not attempting to return the monarchy; instead, he aims to facilitate a transition to a secular, democratic government before stepping down.
“I’m not the destination; I’m a bridge to the destination,” Pahlavi stated regarding his role in an interview with Reuters.
