- Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran's last Shah, calls for regime surrender and peaceful power transfer
- The Pahlavi dynasty left Iran in 1979 amid protests and violence under Mohammad Reza Shah
- Reza Pahlavi lives in US exile, studied political science, and opposes the Iranian regime abroad
The US and Israel's latest war on Tehran and the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei brought attention to Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran.
In a social media message, Reza Pahlavi said that the theocratic regime was “drawing its final breaths” and would soon be consigned to history.
“My message to the remaining officials of this republic of terror is this: surrender to the Iranian nation. Declare your loyalty to my plan and our transition framework, and hand over power without further bloodshed,” the post read.
As the exiled royal attempts to draw support from Iranians, here's a look at what happened to the Pahlavi dynasty after they left Iran in 1979.
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Why The Pahlavis Left
The Pahlavi dynasty first came to power in Iran after a coup against the ruling Qajar dynasty in 1921. Following his father and dynasty founder Reza Shah Pahlavi's death in 1941, Mohammad Reza ascended the throne.
His repressive policies and other factors, like a stagnation in the cost of living prices, led to protests in January 1978. A cycle of violence ensued, with killings of protestors by government forces leading to more mass demonstrations. The Shah and his family, under the guise of a vacation, left the country in January 1979, never to return.
As for Reza Pahlavi, he was born on October 31, 1960, in Tehran. The eldest son of the last Shah of Iran, he was at the Reese Air Force Base in Texas, US, for fighter pilot training, when his family left Iran. He has remained abroad in exile since.
What Happened To The Pahlavis
Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi ultimately died of cancer in Egypt in 1980. In the decades that followed, the family was struck by tragedy multiple times, with two of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's children taking their own lives. The royal family was left reliant on a dwindling circle of well-wishers in exile, the BBC reported.
Reza Pahlavi later studied political science at the University of Southern California. During the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, he volunteered to serve as a fighter pilot for his nation, but his request was rejected by the authorities in Tehran, Al-Jazeera reported. He lives in the US with his wife and three daughters.
Reza Pahlavi has continued to act as an opposition figure to the Iranian regime from abroad. From 2013 to 2017, he served as co-founder and spokesperson for a Paris-based umbrella organisation of opposition groups, the Iran National Council.
The organisation reportedly suffered defections from some groups, as per The Conversation, which hampered its ability to accomplish much. In February 2019, Pahlavi helped found the Phoenix Project of Iran, a Washington, DC-based think tank that was dedicated to regime change and a transition plan for Tehran.
Pahalvi has also visited Israel and attended the Munich Security Conference over the last few years.
Reza Pahlavi's Call For Protestors
For over 40 years, Pahlavi advocated for a referendum and nonviolent change, but his rhetoric has changed post the recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
On Saturday, he urged workers in the transport, oil, and gas sectors to launch nationwide strikes and “cut off the financial lifelines” of the state.
He also urged the “youth of the Immortal Guard”, the erstwhile imperial forces, and security forces to defect, Al Jazeera reported.
Pahlavi remains a polarising figure for both the Iranian state and opposition figures. Iranian officials have connected Pahlavi's escalation to foreign interference by the US and Israel. He has also been slammed for criticising other Iranian dissidents like Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi.
Pahlavi, with the US and Israel's endorsement, has projected himself as an alternative that may emerge should the Iranian regime fall anytime soon.
