Iran has been gripped by fresh unrest as protests flare across multiple cities, driven by mounting anger over a faltering economy and widening discontent with the country’s clerical leadership. What began on December 28 with a shutdown of Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar has since escalated into a nationwide movement challenging the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
On Thursday night, authorities responded by cutting off internet access and international telephone calls, a step often associated with looming crackdowns. The blackout came as crowds joined protests called for by exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, raising new questions about his influence inside Iran despite decades spent abroad.
Protests Test Pahlavi’s Reach
The demonstrations, which have largely remained leaderless, are seen as an early test of whether Pahlavi can mobilise public sentiment against Iran’s theocratic system. He has long criticised Khamenei’s Islamic rule and called for political change, but his real sway within Iran has remained uncertain.
According to rights groups, at least 42 people have been killed since the unrest began. Protesters have also been heard chanting in support of Pahlavi’s father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a striking development in a country where praise for the former monarchy was once punishable by death. The chants reflect the depth of frustration now coursing through Iranian society.
Who Is Reza Pahlavi?
Reza Pahlavi was born on Oct. 31, 1960, in Tehran, the eldest son of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s last monarch, and Empress Farah Pahlavi. He was educated at a private school inside the royal palace, reserved for members of the imperial family and court insiders, and was trained as a pilot, flying his first solo flight at age 11.
At 17, Pahlavi left Iran for the United States to attend military school and continue flight training. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew his father and abolished the monarchy, he remained in exile. He later studied at Williams College before briefly attending the American University in Cairo and pursuing private studies with Iranian scholars. In 1985, he earned a degree in political science from the University of Southern California.
Since the revolution forced the royal family out of Iran, Pahlavi has largely lived in the US. Though he holds no official role, he has consistently called for regime change, advocating free and fair elections and a democratic, secular future for Iran. Over the years, he has built a symbolic following among sections of the Iranian diaspora and Iranians disillusioned with clerical rule.
Pahlavi is married to Yasmine Etemad-Amini, and the couple have three daughters — Noor, Iman and Farah. He has also written three books on Iran’s political future: Gozashteh va Ayandeh (2000), Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran (2002), and IRAN: L’Heure du Choix (Iran: The Deciding Hour, 2009).
Speaking at the Geneva Human Rights Meeting on Feb. 20, Pahlavi outlined what he described as a roadmap for rebuilding Iran, including mobilising grassroots networks inside the country, uniting the Iranian diaspora and pressing G20 governments to increase pressure in support of the Iranian people.
