Who Is Reza Pahlavi? Iran’s Exiled Crown Prince Returns to the Global Spotlight

Why Reza Pahlavi is Back in the Spotlight as Iran Faces Renewed Pressure

Reza Pahlavi, the former Crown Prince of Iran who is living in exile, has praised the nationwide protests. He called it a “decisive signal” that “Iranians are prepared for the next phase of coordinated demonstrations.”

What Happened in Iran’s Capital?

Iran was plunged into a nationwide internet blackout on Thursday (January 8, 2026) evening as mass anti-government protests spread around the country. Iranians shouted slogans against the ruling theocratic regime over economic turmoil and security crackdowns.

Authorities cut internet access and telephone lines immediately after the protests in the capital, Tehran. Other major cities also faced blackouts to prevent the posting of videos of the protests.

Protesters shouted slogans such as "Death to the dictator!" and "Death to the Islamic Republic!" 

Others voiced support for the former monarchy, chanting, "This is the last battle! Pahlavi will return!" 

The momentum of the protests shifted since the video message from Reza Pahlavi.

Reza Pahlavi’s Support for Protesters

Reza Pahlavi called for the use of "all technical, financial, and diplomatic resources available to restore communication to the Iranian people so that their voice and their will can be heard and seen."

"My fellow countrymen, today, Wednesday January 7th, your presence across Iran was unprecedented. And this constitutes a declaration of readiness for tomorrow's plan (the call for Thursday January 8th, at 8 p.m.).” 

“Of course, reports have reached us that the regime is deeply frightened and is attempting, once again, to cut off the internet. Know that our communication will not be severed. Whether through the hundreds of thousands of Starlink devices in Iran, or through the Iran International and Manoto television networks. But if the regime commits such a mistake and cuts the internet, that itself will be another call to continue your presence and to take over the streets. In this way, you will drive yet another nail into the coffin of this regime," Pahlavi continued.

He also called on all European leaders to follow the lead of President Donald Trump in "supporting the people of Iran" and "holding the regime to account".

Who is Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi?

Reza Pahlavi was born in Tehran on October 31, 1960. He was the heir to the late Mohammad Reza Shah of Iran and Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran. 

Pahlavi was officially named Crown Prince in 1967 at the time of his father’s coronation. In 1978, at the age of 17, he left Iran for jet fighter training in the United States Air Force at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas.

Reza Pahlavi completed the United States Air Force Training Program. During his first exile years, he completed his higher education with a degree in political science from the University of Southern California. 

As a trained jet fighter pilot, Reza Pahlavi also volunteered to serve his country’s military as a fighter pilot during the Iran-Iraq War, but was declined by the clerical regime.

He married Yasmine Etemad-Amini on June 12, 1986. They have three daughters: Noor Pahlavi (born April 3, 1992), Iman Pahlavi (born September 12, 1993), and Farah Pahlavi (born January 17, 2004).

Reza Pahlavi has written three books on the state of affairs in Iran: Gozashteh va Ayandeh (Kayhan Publishing, 2000); Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran (Regnery, 2002); and IRAN: L’Heure du Choix [IRAN: The Deciding Hour] (Denoël, 2009).

Final Thoughts

Despite being forced to live in exile, Reza Pahlavi has been vocal against the Islamic regime in Iran and has called for the establishment of a secular democracy.

From as far west as Ilam, a Kurdish-majority region bordering Iraq, to Tehran and Mashhad, in the northeast near the Afghan border, people in more than 100 cities have taken to the streets since protests first erupted 12 days ago.