View source for Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran

{{Short description|Last crown prince of Iran (born 1960)}}
{{distinguish|text=his grandfather [[Reza Shah]]}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Lead too short|date=March 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Reza Pahlavi
| title        = Crown Prince of Iran
| image        = Crown Prince of IRAN Reza PAHLAVI EP-146067A AR2 (cropped).jpg
| caption      = Pahlavi in 2023
| succession   = Head of the [[House of Pahlavi]]
| reign        = 31 October 1980<ref name="Proclamation"/>  – present
| reign-type   = Tenure
| predecessor  = [[Farah Diba]] (as regent in pretence)<ref name="Proclamation"/>
| successor    =
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1960|10|31}}
| birth_place  = [[Tehran]], [[Pahlavi Iran|Imperial State of Iran]]
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Yasmine Etemad-Amini]]|12 June 1986}}
| issue        = Noor Pahlavi<br />Iman Pahlavi<br />Farah Pahlavi
| father       = [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]]
| mother       = [[Farah Diba]]
{{Labeldata|Party|[[National Council of Iran]]<br>(2013–2017)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.radiofarda.com/a/b3-iran-crown-prince-leaves-inc/28740662.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815230528/https://www.radiofarda.com/a/b3-iran-crown-prince-leaves-inc/28740662.html|archive-date=15 August 2019|title=کناره‌گیری رضا پهلوی از ریاست "شورای ملی ایران"|newspaper=رادیو فردا |date=18 September 2017 |last1=پور |first1=بکتاش خمسه }}</ref>}}
{{Labeldata|Alma mater|[[Williams College]]<br />[[American University in Cairo]] <br />[[University of Southern California]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])}}
{{Labeldata|Website|{{URL|rezapahlavi.org}}}}
| signature    = Reza Pahlavi signature.svg
}}
{{infobox hrhstyles
| image=[[file:Imperial Arms of the Crown Prince of Iran.svg|200px]]
| royal name= Reza Pahlavi
| dipstyle= [[His Imperial Highness]]
| offstyle= Your Imperial Highness
| altstyle = }}
'''Reza Pahlavi''' ({{langx|fa|رضا پهلوی}}; born 31 October 1960) is the eldest son of [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]], the last [[Shah]] of Iran, and his wife [[Farah Diba]]. Before the [[Islamic Revolution]] in 1979, he was the [[crown prince]] and the last heir apparent to the throne of the [[Pahlavi Iran|Imperial State of Iran]]. Pahlavi resides in [[Great Falls, Virginia]].
Pahlavi is the founder and leader of the self-styled [[National Council of Iran]], an exiled opposition group,<ref name="Milczanowski">{{citation|author=Maciej Milczanowski|url =http://www.iksiopan.pl/images/czasopisma/hemispheres/hemispheres_29_4.pdf|title=US Policy towards Iran under President Barack Obama's Administration|journal=Hemispheres: Studies on Cultures and Societies|publisher=Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures Polish Academy of Sciences|date=2014|pages=53–66|issn=0239-8818|volume=29|number=4}}</ref> participates in the Iranian democracy movement, and is a prominent critic of Iran's [[Government of Islamic Republic of Iran|Islamic Republic government]].
== Early life and education ==
[[File:Cyrus small.JPG|left|thumb|upright|Pahlavi in 1973]]
Reza Pahlavi was born in [[Tehran]] as the eldest son of [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]], the [[Shah of Iran]] and [[Farah Pahlavi]], the [[Shahbanu]] of Iran. Pahlavi's siblings include his sister [[Farahnaz Pahlavi|Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi]] (born 1963), brother [[Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1966)|Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi]] (1966–2011), and sister [[Leila Pahlavi|Princess Leila Pahlavi]] (1970–2001), as well as a half-sister, [[Shahnaz Pahlavi|Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi]] (born 1940).
When he was born, the Shah pardoned 98 political prisoners, and the government declared a 20% reduction in income tax.<ref name="Freedland">{{citation|first=Jonathan|last=Freedland|title=The Prince's Trust: The Boy Who Lost Everything|work=The Observer|location=London, United Kingdom|date=26 January 1997|pages=97, 168–169}}</ref> He studied at the eponymous "Reza Pahlavi School", a private school located in the royal palace and restricted to the imperial family and court associates.<ref name="The Man Who Would Be Shah">{{cite magazine|first1=Pete|last1=Axthelm|first2=Victoria|last2=Brynner|title=The Man Who Would Be Shah|url=https://people.com/archive/the-man-who-would-be-shah-vol-31-no-13/|volume=31|number=13|magazine=People|date=3 April 1989|access-date=25 January 2019}}</ref> He was trained as a pilot; his [[first solo flight]] was at the age of 11, and he obtained his license a year later.<ref name="AJ">{{citation|title=Pahlavi recalls 'tremendous boost to my morale' during Air Force training in Lubbock|url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/news/local-news/2018-01-09/pahlavi-recalls-tremendous-boost-my-morale-during-air-force-training|publisher=Avalanche-Journal Media|work=Lubbock Online|date=9 January 2018|access-date=25 January 2019}}</ref> He was a supporter of [[Taj Abadan F.C.|Taj Abadan football club]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Houchang E. Chehabi|title=A Political History of Football in Iran|journal=Iranian Studies|date=Autumn 2002|volume=35|issue=4|page=387|doi=10.1080/14660970600615328|s2cid=144616657}}</ref>
As a cadet of the [[Imperial Iranian Air Force]], he was sent to the United States in August 1978 to continue his pilot training. He was one of 43 cadet pilots in the one-year pilot training program at the former [[Reese Air Force Base]], TX, which included flying the [[Cessna T-37 Tweet]] and [[Northrop T-38 Talon]]. As a result of the [[Iranian Revolution]], he left the base in March 1979, about four months earlier than planned.<ref name="AJ"/><ref>{{citation|title=Caprock Chronicles: Lubbock once home to crown prince of Iran|url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/caprock-chronicles/local-news/news/2018-02-10/caprock-chronicles-lubbock-once-home-crown-prince-iran|work=Lubbock Online|date=10 February 2018|access-date=25 January 2019}}</ref>
Pahlavi began studies at [[Williams College]] in September 1979,<ref name="WP"/> but dropped out in 1980.<ref>{{citation|title= Empress Farah Dibah Pahlavi: My son may one day return to his country and take over his father's throne|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/07/23/Empress-Farah-Dibah-Pahlavi-widow-of-the-deposed-shah/3013459403200/#ixzz5dpbiQhaU|date=23 July 1984|access-date=25 January 2019|work=United Press International}}</ref> He then enrolled at [[The American University in Cairo]] as a political science student, but his attendance was irregular.<ref name="UPI"/> In 1981, it was reported that he had dropped out of the program and continued his studies privately with Iranian professors, with a focus on Persian culture and history, Islamic philosophy, and oil in Iran.<ref name="Berkshire">{{citation|title=Former Student Prince Aims at Iranian Throne|work=The United Press International|publisher=The Berkshire Eagle|location=Pittsfield, Massachusetts|date=6 August 1981|page=23}}</ref>
Pahlavi obtained a [[Bachelor of Science|BSc]] degree in political science by [[Distance education|correspondence]] from the [[University of Southern California]] in 1985. He is fluent in [[English language|English]] and [[French language|French]] in addition to his native [[Persian language|Persian]].<ref name="WP"/>
==Political activities in exile==
[[File:Crpcairo.jpg|thumb|upright|Reza Pahlavi's swearing in as the new king of Iran on 31 October 1980 at Koubbeh Palace, Cairo]]
Reza Pahlavi came to [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]], in March 1980 with his family.<ref name="Proclamation">{{citation|title=Former Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi will proclaim himself the new shah of Iran|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/10/17/Former-Iranian-Crown-Prince-Reza-Pahlavi-will-proclaim-himself/5780340603200/|date=17 October 1980|access-date=25 January 2019|work=United Press International|quote=His Imperial Highness Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran, will reach his constitutional majority on the 9th of Aban, 1359 (October 31, 1980). On this date, and in conformity with the Iranian Constitution, the regency of Her Imperial Majesty Farah Pahlavi, Shahbanou of Iran, will end. His Imperial Highness, who will send a message to the people of Iran on this occasion, will succeed his father, His Imperial Majesty Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, deceased in Cairo on Mordad 5, 1359 (July 27, 1980).}}</ref> When his father [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]] was ill and in the last weeks of his life, media reported that some [[Monarchism in Iran|monarchist]] elements had advised the Shah to oust Reza in favor of his younger son [[Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1966)|Ali Reza]] (who was 13 at the time) and a [[regency council]], suggesting that Reza's background, training and interest in public affairs were too limited to become his successor. The Shah was understood to have rejected the idea and abdicated himself in favor of one of his two sons.<ref>{{citation|first=Ronald|last=Koven|title=Royal Heir: Family Hails Elder Son as New Shah|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] Service|publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|date=28 July 1980|page=7}}</ref> When the Shah died on 27 July 1980, Farah Pahlavi proclaimed herself as the [[regent]], a title in pretense.<ref name="Proclamation"/> On his 20th birthday on 31 October, Reza Pahlavi declared himself to be the new [[king of Iran]], Reza Shah II, and the rightful successor to the throne of [[Pahlavi dynasty]].<ref>{{citation|title=Shah's Son Names Himself King, Bids Iran to End Its 'Nightmare'|agency=Herald Wire Service|work=The Miami Herald|location=Miami, Florida|date=1 November 1980|page=14}}</ref> Immediately afterward a spokesman for the [[United States Department of State]], John Trattner, disassociated the U.S. government from Reza Pahlavi by stating that his government did not intend to support him, assuring that they recognized the [[Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran|Iranian government]].<ref>{{citation|first=Barry|last=Schweid|title=U.S. Vows Recognition, No Sanctions for Iran|agency=The Associated Press|work=The Miami Herald|location=Miami, Florida|date=1 November 1980|page=14}}</ref>
During 1981, Pahlavi remained in the [[Koubbeh Palace]] and developed close ties to pro-monarchy groups while facing rejection from other opposition groups, including left-wing dissidents.<ref name="Berkshire"/> In March, he issued a statement for the [[Nowruz|Persian New Year]]. He urged all opponents of the Iranian government to unite behind him and wage a "national resistance". Still, he chose to remain silent and made no reaction when [[President of Iran|President]] [[Abolhassan Banisadr]] was deposed, and the [[Hafte Tir bombing|assassination]] of tens of officials including [[Chief Justice of Iran|Chief Justice]] [[Mohammad Beheshti]] took place in June.<ref name="Berkshire"/> In August, Pahlavi announced that he had been secretly planning to overthrow the Iranian government, stating, "So far I have been unwilling to unveil the existence of the concerted plans for I do not wish to jeopardize the lives of some of our best children... many of our actions have been unknown to you, but I want to assure you that the necessary steps are being taken in the best orderly way to save Iran".<ref>{{citation|title=Reza II vows to oust Khomeini|work=The Associated Press|publisher=The Indianapolis News|location=Indianapolis, Indiana|date=5 August 1981|page=1}}</ref>
In 1982, [[Yaakov Nimrodi]] told BBC in a radio interview that along with [[Adolph Schwimmer]] and [[Adnan Khashoggi]], he was involved with Pahlavi and Gen. Said Razvani to scheme a [[coup d'état]] and install him in Iran.<ref name="Fisher"/> According to [[Samuel Segev]], the plan had the approval of both the CIA and the Israeli cabinet, but it was abandoned when [[Menachem Begin]] resigned in 1983 and the new leadership "thought Israel should not be involved in a new adventure".<ref name="Fisher">{{citation|first=Dan|last=Fisher|title=Sharon Linked to '82 Anti-Khomeini Coup Plot|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-28-mn-352-story.html|access-date=15 September 2020|date=28 October 1988|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>
On 1 May 1986, Pahlavi disclosed that he had recently formed a [[government-in-exile]] to establish a constitutional monarchy again in Iran.<ref>{{citation|title=Shah's Son to Wed... Someone|work=Times-Advocate|location=Escondido, California|date=3 May 1986|page=2}}</ref>
On his website, Pahlavi has said that the state of Iran should become democratic and secular, and [[human rights]] should be respected. Whether the form of government would be that of a constitutional monarchy or a republic, he would like to leave up to the people of Iran.<ref>[http://www.rezapahlavi.org/details_article.php?article=525&page=1 April 2011 Q&A, Question 4] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012035100/http://www.rezapahlavi.org/details_article.php?article=525&page=1 |date=12 October 2013 }} rezapahlavi.org</ref><ref>[http://www.rezapahlavi.org/details_article.php?article=484&page=2 December Q&A, Question 7] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012092611/http://www.rezapahlavi.org/details_article.php?article=484&page=2 |date=12 October 2013 }} rezapahlavi.org</ref>
Pahlavi has used his high profile as an Iranian abroad to campaign for [[human rights]], democracy, and unity among Iranians in and outside Iran.<ref>[http://www.zenit.org/article-20209?l=german Prinz Reza Pahlavi über den Iran: "Dieses Regime ist äußerst anti-religiös"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404221015/http://www.zenit.org/article-20209?l=german |date=4 April 2010 }}. (interview with Reza Pahlavi, in German) Zenit.org (31 March 2010). Retrieved on 9 June 2012.</ref> On his website, he calls for a separation of religion and state in Iran and free and fair elections "for all freedom-loving individuals and political ideologies". He exhorts all groups dedicated to a democratic agenda to work together for a democratic and secular Iranian government.<ref name="Rezapahlavi.com">Reza Pahlavi. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100405023323/http://www.rezapahlavi.org/speeches/?english&id=437 The Challenge Of Implementing Democracy And Human Rights In Iran]. The International Society of Human Rights – Bonn, Germany, 27 March 2010. Rezapahlavi.com</ref>
In February 2011, after [[2011 Iranian protests|violence erupted]] in Tehran, Pahlavi said that Iran's youth were determined to get rid of an authoritarian government tainted by corruption and misrule in the hope of installing a democracy. "Fundamental and necessary change is long overdue for our region, and we have a whole generation of young Egyptians and Iranians not willing to take no for an answer", he told ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. "Democratization is now imperative that cannot be denied. It is only a matter of time before the whole region can transform itself."<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8328855/Irans-Crown-Prince-calls-on-West-to-support-anti-government-protests.html Iran's Crown Prince calls on West to support anti-government protests]. Telegraph. 16 February 2011. Retrieved on 9 June 2012.</ref>
In June 2018, he commented: "I believe Iran must be a secular, parliamentary democracy. The final form has to be decided by the people."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-06-19/iran-s-ex-prince-pahlavi-wants-a-democratic-revolution |title=The Late Shah's Son Wants a Democratic Revolution in Iran |date=19 June 2018 |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=22 May 2019 |quote=From exile, Reza Pahlavi supports a movement to retake his homeland. But he says he doesn't want a throne.}}</ref> In a presentation at the [[Washington Institute for Near East Policy]] in December 2018, Pahlavi called for the non-military support of those in Iran who were trying to replace the Islamist regime with a secular democracy. According to a news report, he was "not openly calling for the restoration of the Peacock Throne ... He casts himself more as a symbol than a politician, but has called himself 'ready to serve my country'".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/13/trumps-anti-iran-push-boosts-a-royal-outcast-1063441 |title=Son of deposed Iranian Shah calls for U.S.-backed regime change |date=13 December 2018 |website=[[Politico]] |access-date=22 May 2019 |quote=In a sign that he welcomes the higher visibility, Pahlavi made a rare public appearance.}}</ref>
During anti-government demonstrations in Iran in 2022 following the [[Abadan building collapse]], Pahlavi predicted that the Islamic regime would collapse in the near future as events such as the shooting down of [[Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752]], bans on importing foreign [[COVID-19]] vaccines and tests into the country and rising food prices had led to unnecessary deaths and would provoke further anger at government mismanagement from the population. He also urged members of the Iranian armed forces who oppose the Islamic Republic but work for the government to engage in peaceful disruption and called for a coordinated front against the regime. While acknowledging support from Iranian demonstrators chanting for the return of the monarchy, he also stated, "The most important thing I do in response to the Iranian people's trust is to reinforce their voices. I don't tell them what to do. I'm not a political leader."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202206030892 |title=Iran's Exiled Prince Calls For Coordinated Front Against Islamic Republic |date=3 June 2022 |access-date=2023-05-01}}</ref>
In a February 2023 interview with ''[[The Daily Telegraph]],'' Pahlavi called on the British and European governments to proscribe the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] (IRGC) arguing such a move would be "pulling out the biggest tooth the regime has." In the interview, he also argued his belief that the Islamic Republic was more likely to fall in the near future than it had been in previous decades as Iranian reformists had switched tactics to wanting to completely overthrow the regime as opposed to changing it. He acknowledged many Iranian dissidents wanted him to play a central role in creating a new government but reiterated that he would leave it to the people of Iran on whether to restore the throne and that he would not run for political office if the regime fell. Pahlavi also predicted that the greatest challenge for a new secular, liberal democratic Iran would be the question of controlling the military and seeking justice against officials in the regime. He concluded that higher-ranking members of the Islamic regime would face trials for human rights abuses but lower ranking members could be pardoned to allow reintegration into society, citing the [[Nuremberg trials]] in which top Nazi officials were prosecuted while lower ranking members were reintegrated back into Germany, and the [[Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)|Truth and Reconciliation Commission]] hearings in South Africa after the end of apartheid as examples to follow.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/02/25/islamic-revolutionary-guard-must-proscribed-says-irans-exiled/ |title=Islamic Revolutionary Guard must be proscribed, says Iran's exiled Crown Prince |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=25 February 2023 |access-date=2023-05-01 |last1=Turner |first1=Camilla }}</ref>
In March 2023, Pahlavi embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom and gave a speech to the [[Oxford Union]]. During the speech, he argued that "secular[ism] is a prerequisite to democracy" and that Islamic regimes fail by not accepting freedom of religion. He called for the [[right to Internet access]] to be restored to Iran to help communication between dissident movements and for non-violent tactics to be used in bringing down the Iranian regime. During the speech, a large demonstration took place outside in support of Pahlavi calling for his restoration.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cherwell.org/2023/02/27/pahlavi/ |title=Hundreds demonstrate in support of Iran's Reza Pahlavi at Oxford Union |date=27 February 2023 |access-date=2023-05-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2023/03/01/reza-pahlavi-crown-prince-of-iran-addresses-the-oxford-union/ |title=Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran, addresses the Oxford Union |date=March 2023 |access-date=2023-05-01}}</ref>
On 17 April 2023, he and his wife Yasmine visited [[Israel]] in "an effort to rebuild the [[Iran-Israel relations|historic relations between Iran and Israel]]." Upon his arrival to Israel, he visited the [[Western Wall]] and [[Yad Vashem]] on the occasion of [[Yom HaShoah]], and met with [[President of Israel]] [[Isaac Herzog]] and [[Prime Minister of Israel]] [[Benjamin Netanyahu]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/son-of-iran-s-deposed-shah-visits-israel-meets-with-netanyahu/2874972|title=Son of Iran's deposed Shah visits Israel, meets with Netanyahu|first=Ahmed|last=Ansar|newspaper=Andolu Agency|date=2023-04-18|access-date=April 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/son-of-irans-last-shah-arrives-in-israel-to-push-for-peaceful-prosperous-future/|title=Son of Iran's last shah arrives in Israel to push for 'peaceful, prosperous future'|newspaper=The Times of Israel|date=2023-04-17|access-date=April 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/son-of-irans-last-shah-arrives-in-israel-to-push-for-peaceful-prosperous-future/|title=Son of Iran's Last Shah Visits Israel, Calls to 'Renew Historical Bonds' Between Countries|first=Sam|last=Sokol|newspaper=Haaretz|date=2023-04-18|access-date=April 19, 2023}}</ref> He also paid a condolence call to the bereaved Dee family at their home in the West Bank settlement of Efrat on Tuesday, after the deaths of sisters Maia and Rina and their mother Lucy in a deadly terror shooting during the Passover holiday.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Son of Iran's last shah pays condolence call to Dee family, visits Western Wall |website=[[The Times of Israel]] |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/son-of-irans-last-shah-pays-condolence-call-to-dee-family-visits-western-wall/}}</ref>
===Succession===
Reza Pahlavi II is first in the line of succession to his late father. In contrast, his younger brother [[Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1966)|Ali-Reza Pahlavi II]] was second in line until his death by suicide in 2011.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2040830,00.html |title=Iran Reacts to Suicide of the Shah's Son |date=5 January 2011 |magazine=Time |access-date=22 May 2019 |quote=Pahlavi's older brother Reza, first in line to the throne|last1=Moaveni |first1=Azadeh }}</ref> Before Reza Pahlavi's birth, the presumptive heir was [[Patrick Ali Pahlavi]], the crown prince's cousin.
In February 2019, Reza Pahlavi launched the Phoenix Project of Iran initiative. According to the National Interest, this is "designed to bring the various strains of the opposition closer to a common vision for a post-clerical Iran".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harounoff |first1=Jonathan |title=The White House Once Labeled Them Terrorists. Now They're Being Called Iran's Next Government |url=https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/iran/.premium-white-house-once-labeled-them-terrorists-now-it-calls-them-iran-s-next-government-1.7651999 |website=Haaretz |language=en |date=13 August 2019}}</ref>
=== Within Iran ===
A report published by the [[Brookings Institution]] in 2009 said that Pahlavi lacked an organized following within Iran since there was no serious [[Monarchism in Iran|monarchist]] movement in Iran itself. The report described Pahlavi as having "little in common with the intellectuals and students who make up the core of the reform movement".<ref>{{cite book|title=Which Path to Persia?: Options for a New American Strategy toward Iran|chapter=Toppling Tehran|author=Kenneth M. Pollack |author2=Daniel L. Byman |author3=Martin S. Indyk |author4=Suzanne Maloney |date=June 2009|work=[[Saban Center for Middle East Policy]]|number=20|publisher=[[Brookings Institution]]|isbn=978-0-8157-0379-2|page=108}}</ref>
During [[2017–18 Iranian protests]], some videos on social media showed demonstrators chanting slogans in favor of [[Reza Shah|Pahlavi's grandfather]] and calling for his return.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-rallies-monarchy/u-s-should-clear-way-for-tech-companies-to-help-iranians-former-crown-prince-idUSKBN1ES23V|title=U.S. should clear way for tech companies to help Iranians: former crown prince|date=4 January 2018|access-date=1 February 2018|author1=Yeganeh Torbati |author2=Paresh Dave |author3=David Ingram |editor1=John Walcott |editor2=James Dalgleish|work=Reuters}}</ref><ref name="Newsweek">{{citation|url=http://www.newsweek.com/iran-protests-who-are-opposition-and-who-will-rule-if-regime-falls-772045|title=Iran Protests: Who are the Iranian Opposition and who will Rule if the Regime Falls|date=5 January 2018|access-date=1 February 2018|author=Callum Paton |work=Newsweek}}</ref> On many occasions the videos indicated the royalist slogans prompt others in the crowd to shout the slogans down.<ref name="Mather">{{citation|first=Yassamine|last=Mather|title=The political economy of Iran's Islamic state, Donald Trump and threats of war|journal=Critique|year=2018|issn=1748-8605|volume=46|number=3|pages=443–469|doi=10.1080/03017605.2018.1496543|s2cid=150167382}}</ref>
In January 2023, New York-based Iranian scholar and writer Arash Azizi noted that among younger Iranians on social media and at public demonstrations support for Pahlavi has become more visible and argued "To any fair observer of Iran, Pahlavi has a certain degree of support in Iranian society, although it is hard to discern just how wide this support is." He also noted that a number of Iranian dissident activists and celebrities including [[Dariush Eghbali]] (who had been imprisoned under the Shah's rule), actress [[Shohreh Aghdashloo]], actor [[Hamid Farrokhnezhad]] and Olympian [[Kimia Alizadeh]] have come out in support of Pahlavi being a figurehead to unite anti-regime movements. Tehran based intellectual Khashayar Dayhimi opined "I believe that, if there was a referendum today and Reza Pahlavi was on the ballot, he'd easily win because people don't know anyone other than him."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/iransource/can-reza-pahlavi-help-unite-the-iranian-opposition-a-hashtag-is-suggesting-so/ |title=Can Reza Pahlavi help unite the Iranian opposition? A hashtag is suggesting so. |date=24 January 2023 |access-date=2023-06-14}}</ref>
=== Among Iranian expatriates ===
Pahlavi enjoys wide popularity with the older generation of [[Iranian diaspora|Iranian expatriates]] that left Iran during the 1979 revolution and with some people in Iran.<ref name=Romance>{{cite web |first=Mahlia |last=Lone |title=Memorable Romance: The Shah & I |url=http://www.goodtimes.com.pk/memorable-romance-the-shah-i/ |date=1 July 2016 |access-date=4 June 2017}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2017}} In 2006, [[Connie Bruck]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' wrote that Los Angeles is home to about 600,000 Iranian expatriates, and said it was a monarchist stronghold.<ref name="The New Yorker">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/03/06/exiles-6|title=Exiles: How Iran's Expatriates are Gaming the Nuclear Threat|author=Connie Bruck|magazine=The New Yorker|date=6 March 2006|page=48}}</ref>
A 2013 survey of [[Iranian-Americans]] conducted by [[George Mason University]]'s Center for Social Science Research found that 85% of respondents did not support any Iranian opposition groups or figures. Of the remaining 15% who expressed support, 20% backed him.<ref>{{citation|url=http://paaia.org/CMS/Data/Sites/1/PDFs/survey-of-iranian-americans-2013.pdf|title=National Public Opinion Survey of Iranian Americans|publisher=Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA)|work=Center for Social Science Research, George Mason University|page=10|year=2013|access-date=11 June 2017}}</ref>
=== Support during the Mahsa Amini protests ===
{{Main|Alliance for Democracy and Freedom in Iran}}
In a recent attempt in 2023 to garner support for Reza Pahlavi as a representative for transition, a petition was created on the platform Change.org that has amassed over 460,000 signatures.<ref>{{cite web | title=Campaign To Give Power Of Attorney To Iran's Exiled Prince Gains Momentum | website=Iran International | date=2023-01-18 | url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202301182326 | access-date=2023-02-10}}</ref>
Reza Pahlavi asked Iranians worldwide to protest against the Islamic Republic on its 44th anniversary, February 11, 2023. As a result, people rallied in multiple cities in the US, Europe, Australia, and Canada.<ref>{{Cite news |last=فردا |first=رادیو |date=2023-02-11 |title=مخالفان جمهوری اسلامی در همبستگی با معترضان ایران در شهرهای مختلف دنیا تجمع کردند |language=fa |work=رادیو فردا |url=https://www.radiofarda.com/a/iran-s-diaspora-protest-against-islamic-republic-in-solidarity-with-dissidents-inside/32266926.html |access-date=2023-02-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Opponents Of Iranian Regime Deliver Speeches In US Rallies |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202302120283 |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=Iran International |date=12 February 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Thousands Of Iranians Gather To Protest At US Consulate |url=https://thenationaltelegraph.com/world/thousands-of-iranians-gather-to-protest-at-us-consulate |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=The National Telegraph |date=12 February 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref> Reza Pahlavi himself participated in LA rally where a crowd of more than 80,000 showed up.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-12 |title=Photos: Thousands in L.A. rally in support of the anti-government movement in Iran |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-11/photos-community-and-human-rights-advocates-gathered-to-protest-islamic-regime-in-iran |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
==== July 2024 speech ====
In July 2024, Pahlavi was invited to speak at the [[National Conservatism Conference]] in Washington, D.C. In his speech, Pahlavi blamed the Iranian regime for the spread of radical Islam to other nations in the Middle East and the West following the revolution and promised that Iranians will take Iran back in the near future. He also argued that [[Masoud Pezeshkian]] was not a "moderate" politician due to his friendship with [[Hezbollah]]. He warned United States not to launch a military campaign against the regime, arguing "the problem that began in Iran must be ended in Iran" and concluded "the soon to be free Iran, doesn’t seek your patronage. It seeks your partnership. It doesn’t seek your funding. It seeks your friendship.”<ref>{{Cite web |title=Exiled prince warns West about Iran's role in spreading 'radical Islamism' |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202407105232 |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=Iran International |date=10 July 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
In an essay for ''The Daily Telegraph'', he called IRGC to be designated terror group by British government for its funding of Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthis and suppression of [[Zan zendegi azadi|Zan Zendegi Azadi]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-13 |title=Listing the IRGC as a terrorist group will be a boost for Iran's demo… |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/07/13/listing-irgc-as-terrorist-group-a-boost-for-irans-democrats/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240713202742/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/07/13/listing-irgc-as-terrorist-group-a-boost-for-irans-democrats/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2024-07-13 |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=archive.ph}}</ref>
=== November 2024 ===
{{Copy edit section|date=November 2024}}
In November 2024 Pahlavi called on Iranians to take the country back, adding that he was ready to lead any interim rule. He said in a Newsmax interview that internal force will topple the regime.<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://nitter.poast.org/PahlaviReza/status/1857079557985075385#m}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=شاهزاده رضا پهلوی: برای رهبری دوران گذار آماده‌ام |url=https://ir.voanews.com/amp/statement-prince-reza-pahlavi-iran/7863787.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=ir.voanews.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-14 |title=Exiled prince Pahlavi says ready for interim rule |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202411142057 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Iran International |language=en}}</ref>
==Foreign support==
[[Bob Woodward]] wrote in 1986 that the Reagan administration authorized the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) to support and fund Iranian exiles, including Pahlavi. The agency transmitted his 11-minute speech during which he vowed "I will return" to Iranian television by pirating its frequency.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-11-19-mn-4323-story.html|title=CIA Support for Exiles, Other Covert Iran Activity Reported|author=Bob Woodward|newspaper=The Washington Post|via=Los Angeles Times Archive|date=19 November 1986|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> The [[Tower Commission]] report, published in 1987, also acknowledged that the CIA was behind this event<ref>{{cite book|title=The Tower Commission Report: The Full Text of the President's Special Review Board|page=[https://archive.org/details/towercommission00unit/page/398 398]|year=1987|publisher=Bantam Books|isbn=978-0-553-26968-0|author=John Tower |author2=John Goodwin Tower |author3=Edmund S. Muskie |author4=Brent Scowcroft |contribution=United States President's Special Review Board|series=A New York Times special|url=https://archive.org/details/towercommission00unit/page/398}}</ref> while a group in Paris calling itself 'Flag of Freedom' had taken responsibility for the act in September 1986.<ref>{{citation|title=Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, son of the late shah...|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/09/23/Supporters-of-Reza-Pahlavi-son-of-the-late-shah/2311527832000/|date=23 September 1986|work=United Press International}}</ref>
[[James Mann (writer)|James Mann]] wrote in February 1989 that when he asked the CIA about whether they helped Pahlavi, they refused to comment, and a spokesperson of the agency told him, "We would not confirm nor deny an intelligence matter".<ref>{{citation|first=James|last=Mann|title=Don't Trust Khomeini, Shah's Son Warns U.S.|work=Los Angeles Times|date=9 February 1989|page=12}}</ref>
In 2006, [[Connie Bruck]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' wrote that "Pahlavi had CIA funding for several years in the eighties, but it ended after the [[Iran-Contra scandal]]".<ref name="The New Yorker"/> Andrew Friedman of [[Haverford College]] states that Pahlavi began cooperation with the CIA after he met director [[William J. Casey]] and received a monthly stipend, citing Pahlavi's financial advisor and other observers. Friedman also connects his residence in [[Great Falls, Virginia]] to its proximity to [[George Bush Center for Intelligence]], headquarters of the service.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Iran-Contra As Built Space|title=Covert Capital: Landscapes of Denial and the Making of U.S. Empire in the Suburbs of Northern Virginia|series=American Crossroads|volume=7|first=Andrew|last=Friedman|year=2013|isbn=978-0-520-27464-8|publisher=[[the University of California Press]]|quote=Not only was it not surprising that Reza Pahlavi ended up in the Northern Virginia suburbs, it would be hard to imagine him going anywhere else. Ex-CIA agents in McLean began offering Shah Reza Pahlavi estates and farms as retreats in Northern Virginia as early as 1979, swearing they could spirit him past immigration officials at Dulles Airport. A major reason the younger Pahlavi moved to Great Falls was political. Building his house some ten minutes away from Langley, he was, according to his advisor and other observers, receiving a monthly CIA stipend. After a meeting with Bill Casey in Rabat, they began what Pahlavi called "intelligence cooperation... for mutual benefits." Although he denied he took agency money, his financial advisor once claimed that Pahlavi's stipend sometimes rose to $150,000 a month. A large picture of him hung on the wall in Langley's Iran division, accompanied by the moniker "The Hope of Democracy of Iran". This "Iran" in Iran-Contra sometimes created complexities for the arms-selling project. In September 1986, a CIA technical strike blocked TV signals on national Iranian TV from broadcasting an eleven-minute speech by Reza Cyrus, then resident in Northern Virginia, into Iran.|page=274}}
</ref>
In 2009, Pahlavi denied receiving U.S. government or foreign aid in an interview with ''[[The New York Times]]''. Pahlavi said "No, no. I don't rely on any sources other than my own compatriots" and denied allegations of working with the CIA, calling the allegations "absolutely and unequivocally false".<ref name="NYT"/> However, in 2017 he told Jon Gambrell of the [[Associated Press]]: "My focus right now is on liberating Iran, and I will find any means that I can, without compromising the national interests and independence, with anyone who is willing to give us a hand, whether it is the U.S. or the Saudis or the Israelis or whomever it is."<ref name="AP">{{cite web|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/aabda1d7582d49b784c7ec7ee2e96e6e/irans-long-exiled-prince-wants-revolution-age-trump|title=Iran's long-exiled prince wants a revolution in age of Trump |author=Jon Gambrell |publisher=Associated Press|date=9 April 2017|access-date=25 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409074842/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/aabda1d7582d49b784c7ec7ee2e96e6e/irans-long-exiled-prince-wants-revolution-age-trump|archive-date=9 April 2017}}</ref>
== Personal life ==
{{Iranian Imperial Family}}
=== Relationships and marriage ===
According to a ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' article published in 1978, Pahlavi dated a "blond, blue-eyed Swedish model he met in Rome".<ref name="People"/> The same publication also reported that he lived with his girlfriend in [[Lubbock, Texas]].<ref name="People">{{citation|title=A Shah-in-Training Learns About Air Force Tradition and Sweet Texas Accents|url=https://people.com/archive/a-shah-in-training-learns-about-air-force-tradition-and-sweet-texas-accents-vol-10-no-15/|last1=Demaret|first1=Kent|last2=Williams|first2=Keith|date=9 October 1978|access-date=25 January 2019|work=People}}</ref> As of 1980, he had an Egyptian girlfriend who was a student of [[The American University in Cairo]], reportedly "closely guarded" by bodyguards.<ref name="UPI">{{citation|title= Fulfilling his father's deathbed wish, Crown Prince Reza will proclaim himself shah of Iran|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/10/30/Fulfilling-his-fathers-deathbed-wish-Crown-Prince-Reza-will/7040341730000/#ixzz5dpUphxef|last1=Guindi|first1=Maurice|date=30 October 1980|access-date=25 January 2019|work=United Press International}}</ref>
Pahlavi began a relationship with [[Yasmine Pahlavi|Yasmine Etemad-Amini]] in 1985, and a year later married her, then aged 17, at 25.<ref name="WP">{{citation|title=The Shah Without a Country|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1989/05/21/the-shah-without-a-country/f0faf362-f2c1-4a3b-83e5-25ef1b0ecb87|last1=Hall|first1=Carla|date=21 May 1989|access-date=25 January 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> The couple have three daughters: Noor (born 3 April 1992), Iman (born 12 September 1993), and Farah (born 17 January 2004).
In 2004, Pahlavi was named the "unofficial [[godparent|godfather]]" of [[Princess Louise of Belgium (b. 2004)|Princess Louise of Belgium]], the eighth granddaughter of [[Albert II of Belgium|King Albert II of the Belgians]].<ref>The [[Roman Catholic Church]], the Church of the child being baptized, does not accept non-Catholics as godparents, given the religious nature of the role, so Pahlavi's role was downgraded to unofficial, not formal. {{cite web|last=Kadivar|first=Darius|title=ROYAL CURTSY: Crown Prince Reza Godfather to Belgium's Prince Prince Laurent's Daughter|url=http://iranian.com/main/blog/darius-kadivar/royal-curtsy-crown-prince-reza-godfather-belgiums-prince-prince-laurents-daughte.html|publisher=Iranian.com: Persian Realm}}</ref>
=== Hobbies ===
Pahlavi was a keen [[football player]] and spectator. He was a fan of the capital's football club [[Esteghlal F.C.|Esteghlal]], then known as ''Taj'' ({{literal translation|Crown}}), and his support was even televised by the [[National Iranian Radio and Television]]. The club performed in annual rallies organized on his birthday, identifying the club with the Pahlavi regime.<ref>{{cite book|title=Fringe Nations in World Soccer|author=Kausik Bandyopadhyay |author2=Sabyasachi Mallick |page=87|isbn=978-1-317-99810-5|year=2013|publisher=Routledge}}</ref>
In 1981, [[United Press International|UPI]] reported that Pahlavi attended the elite Gueziro Club in Cairo to watch tennis and was occasionally seen in [[discotheque]]s at hotels in the vicinity of the [[Nile]].<ref name="Berkshire"/>
=== Religious beliefs ===
When interviewed about religion, Pahlavi said, "That's a private matter, but if you must know, I am, of course, by education and conviction, a Shia Muslim. I am very much a man of faith."<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|last1=Soloman|first1=Deborah|title=The Exile|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/magazine/28fob-q4-t.html|work=The New York Times Magazine|date=26 June 2009}}</ref> Iranian writer Reza Bayegan also notes that Crown Prince Reza is alleged "deeply attached" to his [[Islam|Muslim]] faith. He has performed the [[Hajj]] (pilgrimage) to [[Mecca]].<ref name="pay and">{{cite news|author=Reza Bayegan|title=Reza Pahlavi and the Question of Religion|url=http://payvand.com/news/08/may/1063.html|publisher=Payvand|access-date=25 April 2010|archive-date=8 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108233459/http://payvand.com/news/08/may/1063.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Financial and legal issues==
=== Occupation ===
In 1989, ''The Washington Post'' reported that Pahlavi was [[unemployed]].<ref name="WP"/> Asked about his sources of income, he replied that he had been financially supported by "friends and family" in the past seven years.<ref name="WP"/> In 2017, he told the Associated Press that since 1979 he had had no "side occupation" (about political activities), adding that his money came from his family and "many Iranians who have supported the cause".<ref name="AP"/> According to a December 2018 news report by ''Politico'', "he is thought to live mainly on what's left of his family wealth, his only full-time job being speaking out about Iran".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/13/trumps-anti-iran-push-boosts-a-royal-outcast-1063441 |title=Son of deposed Iranian Shah calls for U.S.-backed regime change |date=13 December 2018 |website=[[Politico]] |access-date=22 May 2019 }}</ref>
=== ''Shahbazi v. Pahlavi'' ===
In 1990, Ali Haydar Shahbazi, a former [[Imperial Guard (Iran)|Imperial Guard]] member who worked for Pahlavi as a longtime bodyguard, filed a lawsuit in the district court of [[Alexandria, Virginia]], accusing Pahlavi of breaching Iranian tradition by breaking his pledge to take care of him financially.<ref name="Howe1">{{citation|first=Robert F.|last=Howe|title= Lawsuit Against Son of Shah is Dismissed by U.S. Judge|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1991/01/25/lawsuit-against-son-of-shah-is-dismissed-by-us-judge/953f51b3-1d10-47ec-804d-3a9b2f8e0951/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=25 January 1991|access-date=15 September 2020}}</ref> Shahbazi, then aged 58, said in the court he abandoned more than $400,000 in property in Iran because Pahlavi assured him "I'm going to pay your expenses and everything. I'm going to take care of you better than my father [did]" when he was hired, and then fired him with a handshake and $9,000 in 1989.<ref name="Howe1"/> Shahbazi asked compensation for the $30,000 in taxes and penalties as well as an undetermined amount of money for his retirement.<ref name="Howe1"/> Pahlavi's attorney dismissed the claim, saying that Shahbazi has received gifts worth several thousand dollars and was allowed to live luxuriously in Pahlavi's house in [[Great Falls, Virginia]], adding that the servant was fired because his client ran out of money.<ref name="Howe2"/> Pahlavi agreed that Shahbazi was a loyal friend but he offered support as long as he could.<ref name="Howe1"/> He also told the judge, "I was not involved in the day-to-day handling of my financial affairs".<ref name="Howe1"/>
In 1991, District Judge [[Albert Vickers Bryan Jr.]] argued that Pahlavi "had little knowledge of how his estate's money was spent and could not be held personally accountable for employment agreements with servants", declaring the case dismissed.<ref name="Howe2"/> According to media reports, Pahlavi began to cry in the court when the judge threw out the case.<ref>{{citation|first=Yemi|last=Toure|title=In This Corner...: If...|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-28-vw-38-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=28 January 1991|access-date=15 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="Howe2">{{citation|first=Robert F.|last=Howe|title=U.S. Law Meets Persian Culture in VA|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1991/01/24/us-law-meets-persian-culture-in-va/e2558c3f-4419-4de1-aa4d-e035211c0ab0/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=24 January 1991|access-date=15 September 2020}}</ref>
=== ''Ansari v. Pahlavi'' ===
In 1990, Pahlavi and Ahmad Ali Massoud Ansari, his close aide and financial adviser, filed lawsuits against each other.<ref name="Hsu">{{citation|first=Spencer S.|last=Hsu|title=Reversal of Fortune|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1996/07/22/reversal-of-fortune/a6e145ed-b4b9-4aa2-86d9-985f2f21d109/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=22 July 1996|access-date=15 September 2020}}</ref> Pahlavi accused Ansari of [[embezzlement]] amounting $24 million, while Ansari claimed $1.7 million [[lien]] against Pahlavi.<ref name="Hsu"/> During the trial, Pahlavi's attorney told the court "[d]ue to the demands of his political responsibilities and his lack of experience in financial matters, Pahlavi had to trust completely in Ansari for the management of his funds... over the years, no one supplanted Ansari in any way in Pahlavi's trust. Conversely, no one betrayed Pahlavi's trust any more than Ansari", going further to accuse Ansari as "an [[Espionage#Agents in espionage|agent]]" for the [[Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran]].<ref name="Hsu"/> Ansari denied the accusations and blamed Pahlavi for squandering the money with his extravagance, stating he faithfully carried out orders that Pahlavi was aware of.<ref name="Hsu"/>
The court asked Ansari to provide a complete accounting of his money handling, but he alleged that the documents had been destroyed to prevent a potential seizure. In 1996, the court ruled that Ansari should repay $7.3 million to Pahlavi and fined him an additional $2 million.<ref name="Hsu"/>
== Television network ==
In November 2014, Pahlavi founded his own [[television network|television]] and [[radio network]] called Ofogh Iran;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ofoghiran.tv/?page_id=191|title=About – افق ایران|website=ofoghiran.tv|access-date=15 November 2014|archive-date=6 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106222355/http://ofoghiran.tv/?page_id=191}}</ref> in July 2017 it was reported that the Ofogh Iran International Media telethon no longer belonged to Pahlavi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rasanehiran.com/vdcba8ba.rhb85piuur.html|title=رسانه ايران – "افق ایران، دیگر متعلق به شاهزاده رضا پهلوی نیست"|last=Behnegarsoft.com|website=rasanehiran.com|access-date=2018-01-03}}</ref>
==Bibliography==
*''Gozashteh va Ayandeh'', London: Kayham Publishing, 2000. (in Persian)
*''[[Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran]]'', [[Regnery Publishing]] Inc., 2002, {{ISBN|0-89526-191-X}}.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.meforum.org/articles/2007/winds-of-change-the-future-of-democracy-in-iran|title=Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran|date=1 June 2002|access-date=5 September 2018|journal=[[Middle East Quarterly]]|volume=14|issue=1}}</ref>
*''Iran: L'Heure du Choix'', Denoël, 2009. (in French)
==Honours==
=== National ===
* [[File:Order of Pahlavi (Iran).gif|60px]] Sovereign and Grand Collar of the [[Order of Pahlavi]] (26 September 1967, Iran)
* [[File:Mohammad_Rezā_Shāh_Pahlavi_Coronation_Medal_Ribbon_Bar_-_Imperial_Iran.svg|60px]] Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi Coronation Medal (26 October 1967, Iran)
* [[File:25th_Centennial_Anniversary_Medal_Ribbon_Bar_-_Imperial_Iran.svg|60px]] 25th Centennial Anniversary Medal (14 October 1971, Iran)
* [[File:Persepolis_Medal's_Ribbon_Bar_-_Imperial_Iran.svg|60px]] [[2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire|Persepolis Medal]] (15 October 1971, Iran)
=== Foreign ===
* [[File:Order of the Seraphim - Ribbon bar.svg|60px]] Knight of the [[Royal Order of the Seraphim]] (24 November 1970, [[Sweden]])
* [[File:Cordone di gran Croce di Gran Cordone OMRI BAR.svg|60px]] Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of Merit of the Italian Republic]] (15 December 1974, [[Italy]])<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/insigniti/35145 | title = REZA S.A.I. Ciro decorato di Gran Cordone | language = it | access-date = 16 October 2012 }}</ref>
* [[File:Order_of_Isabella_the_Catholic_-_Sash_of_Collar.svg|60px]] Knight of the Collar of the [[Order of Isabella the Catholic]] (19 April 1975, [[Spain]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1975/04/22/pdfs/A08445-08445.pdf|title=Boletín Oficial del Estado}}</ref>
* [[File:Legion Honneur GC ribbon.svg|60px]] Grand Cross of the [[Legion of Honour]] (14 December 1976, [[France]])
* [[File:AUT Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria - 1st Class BAR.svg|60px]] Grand Star of the [[Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria]] (1976, [[Austria]])<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/VHG/XXIV/AB/AB_10542/imfname_251156.pdf | title = Reply to a parliamentary question | language = de | page=458 | access-date = 16 October 2012 }}</ref>
* [[File: Royal_Order_of_the_Drum_(Rwanda)_-_ribbon_bar.gif|60px]] Grand Collar of the Royal Order of the Drum ([[Rwanda]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://king-kigeli.org/|title=King Kigeli|website=King Kigeli}}</ref>
* [[File:Order of the Most Holy Annunciation BAR.svg|60px]] Knight of the [[Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation]] (26 April 2023, [[House of Savoy]])<ref>[https://www.ordinidinasticicasasavoia.it/site/wp-content/uploads/ELENCO_Ordine-Santissima-Annunziata_21.07.2023.pdf. Elenco dei Cavalieri dell'Ordine supremo della Santissima Annunziata]</ref>
=== Other recognitions ===
* [[Radio Farda]]'s Person of The Year online poll (2011)<ref>{{cite news|author1=RFE/RL|title=Farda Audience Picks Late Shah's Son As Iran's Person of the Year|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/farda_audience_late_shah_pahlavi_son_iran_person_of_year/24523974.html|work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=22 March 2012}}</ref>
* [[Freedom of the City|Key to the City]] of [[Beverly Hills]] (23 January 2017, [[Los Angeles, California]])<ref name=BeverlyKey>{{cite web |first=Victoria |last=Talbot |url=http://bhcourier.com/beverly-hills-news-iranian-crown-prince-reza-pahlavi-seeks-support-for-peaceful-revolution/ |title=Beverly Hills News – Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi Seeks Support For Peaceful Revolution |date=26 January 2017 |access-date=28 May 2017 |archive-date=26 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026110428/http://bhcourier.com/beverly-hills-news-iranian-crown-prince-reza-pahlavi-seeks-support-for-peaceful-revolution/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=KeyVideo>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUbst7VOb2c  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/sUbst7VOb2c |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=The Mayor of Beverly Hills Presenting the Key to the City to The Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi |website=[[YouTube]] |date=January 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Subject bar|q=y|s=y}}
*{{official website|http://www.rezapahlavi.org/}}
*{{C-SPAN|5960}}
*[https://youchu.be/watch?v=Ujt3St6coNM&si=R3eEQI9m-eWoDMyY Ending the Islamist Caliphate and Returning to the Nation State]
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{{s-hou|[[House of Pahlavi]]|31 October|1960||}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Mohammad Reza Shah|Mohammad Reza]]}}
{{s-tul|title=[[List of kings of Persia|Shah of Iran]]|years=27 July 1980 – present|reason=[[Iranian Revolution|Monarchy abolished in 1979]]}}
{{s-inc|heir=[[Noor Pahlavi|Princess Noor]]|heir-type=Unofficial heir}}
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{{S-break}}
{{s-vac|last=[[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Mohammad Reza]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Crown Prince]] of Iran|years=26 October 1967 – 11 February 1979}}
{{S-vac|reason=[[Iranian Revolution]]}}
|-
{{S-new|reason=Party established}}
{{S-ttl|title=President of [[National Council of Iran]]|years=April 2013&nbsp;– 16 September 2017}}
{{S-aft|after=Leadership Council}}
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{{Crown Princes of the Pahlavi Dynasty}}
{{Iran–United States relations}}
{{Mahsa Amini protests}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pahlavi, Reza}}
[[Category:Members of the Pahlavi dynasty]]
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Williams College alumni]]
[[Category:Iranian dissidents]]
[[Category:Iranian anti-communists]]
[[Category:Critics of Islamism]]
[[Category:Iranian democracy activists]]
[[Category:Iranian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]]
[[Category:Royalty from Tehran]]
[[Category:University of Southern California alumni]]
[[Category:Heirs apparent who never acceded]]
[[Category:Iranian monarchists]]
[[Category:Iranian critics of religions]]
[[Category:Pahlavi pretenders to the Iranian throne]]
[[Category:20th-century Iranian writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Iranian writers]]
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[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic]]
[[Category:Collars of the Order of Isabella the Catholic]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria]]
[[Category:Exiles of the Iranian revolution in the United States]]
[[Category:Exiles of the Iranian revolution in Egypt]]
[[Category:Exiles of the Iranian revolution in Morocco]]
[[Category:Exiles of the Iranian revolution in Panama]]
[[Category:Exiles of the Iranian revolution in Mexico]]
[[Category:Exiles of the Iranian revolution in the Bahamas]]
[[Category:Exiled royalty]]
[[Category:Crown princes]]
[[Category:Sons of monarchs]]