The son of the last Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, has made himself the international face of protests in Iran. In press conferences, interviews, and gatherings in Western countries, Pahlavi has called for the overthrow of Tehran’s Islamist regime and its replacement with a “transitional government”— with himself as the leader. He has made this appeal in conversations with various governments, including at least one reported meeting with members of the Trump administration.
Pahlavi has numerous arguments for staking this claim. He claims to be trusted by the opposition. The protestors, he said, were demanding that he return, and “millions” were chanting his name. He has also made clear he was the only person who could unite the incredibly diverse array of Iranian opposition groups, telling one interviewer he has come forward “at their ask.” And finally, he has guaranteed that he would shepherd his people to democracy.
If these arguments sound thin, it’s because they are.
For starters, “trust” is almost impossible to quantify. Polling in Iran, particularly among those opposed to the regime, is incredibly unreliable. One 2024 poll supposedly revealed over 80 percent are waiting for the regime to crumble. But that poll was taken only by those who used VPNS—already a sign of opposition to the regime—and by people brave enough to give anti-regime answers to people they did not know.
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