Who is Reza Pahlavi? As Iran protests intensify, exiled crown prince pushes for larger crowd against Ayatollah Khamenei | Today News

Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi emerged as a key figure as the country, run by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, continues to witness nationwide protests over the Islamic Republic's faltering economy and the collapse of its currency.

Pahlavi, an Opposition leader, has repeatedly called for protests and urged people to gather on the streets to raise their voices against Khamenei's regime.

In one such message on December 30, Reza Pahlavi said, "As long as this regime is in power, the country's economic situation will continue to decline. Today, it is the time for greater solidarity."

"I call on all segments of society to join your fellow compatriots in the streets and raise the cry for the fall of this system," Pahlavi posted on X.

In another such protest call on Thursday, Pahlavi said, "Great nation of Iran, the eyes of the world are upon you. Take to the streets and, as a united front, shout your demands..."

He, later, urged the citizens to "make the crowd even larger so that the regime's repressive power becomes even weaker."

Reza Pahlavi is Iran's exiled crown prince and has lived in exile since 1979.

He was born in Tehran, Iran, on October 31, 1960 as the heir to Iran's last shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, and Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran, according to the information available on rezapahlavi.org.

Reza Pahlavi was officially named Crown Prince in 1967 at the time of his father’s coronation.

In 1978, at the age of 17, Pahlavi reportedly left Iran for jet fighter training in the US Air Force at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas. During this same period, the building unrest in Iran led to the royal family’s departure in January 1979.

During this period, the Government of Iran was taken over by Islamists (from monarchists) who established a theocratic regime, preventing Reza Pahlavi’s return to his homeland, the website claimed.

Reza Pahlavi now calls for regime change through non-violent civil disobedience.

While Pahlavi has plenty of admirers in the Iranian diaspora who support a return to the monarchy, it is uncertain how popular that idea might be inside the country, Reuters reported.

Reza Pahlavi's personal life: 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's education: As per the information, Reza Pahlavi completed the US Air Force Training Program. During his first exile years, he pursued his higher education with a degree in political science from the University of Southern California.

As an accomplished jet fighter pilot, Pahlavi even volunteered to serve his country’s military as a fighter pilot during the Iran-Iraq War, but was declined by the clerical regime, the website read.

Reza's publications: He 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).

So far, at least 42 people have been killed amid the protests and more than 2,270 others have been detained, according to the Associated Press.

The Iranian rial plunged to 1.42 million to the US dollar, a new record low, compounding inflationary pressure and pushing up the prices of food and other daily necessities.

Tehran is still reeling from a 12-day war launched by Israel in June that saw the United States bomb nuclear sites in Iran.

Economic pressure, intensified in September by the return of United Nations sanctions on the country over its atomic program, has put Iran's rial currency into a free fall, now trading at some 1.4 million to $1.

Meanwhile, a new threat by US President Donald Trump, warning Iran that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the US “will come to their rescue, has taken on new meaning after American troops captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a longtime ally of Tehran.