Reza Pahlavi presents himself as opposition leader. Meanwhile, human rights activists fear “massacres” by the regime.
January 11, 2026, 8:35 p.mJanuary 11, 2026, 8:35 p.m
Thomas Seibert, Istanbul / ch media
“I will return home,” said Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran. From his exile in the United States, Pahlavi gave Iranians hope that they would soon be able to shake off the rule of the Shiite clergy. That was in 1986, and nothing came of the coup.
Reza Pahlavi, the Shah’s son, calls for protests in Iran from exile.Image: keystone
Now the now 65-year-old crown prince is speaking out again and presenting himself as the leader of the Iranian opposition in the new wave of protests. This time too, he promises to return to Iran soon. But he is controversial in his homeland. Some Iranians see him as the nation’s savior, others as a puppet of the USA and Israel.
After the new protests broke out two weeks ago, the Iranian regime initially showed understanding for the demonstrators’ complaints about rising prices and falling living standards, but this has not stopped the rallies, which also call for the overthrow of the regime. The regime is now threatening the demonstrators with the death penalty.
Cell phone footage of the protest in Tehran on Saturday – the regime has virtually completely cut off internet traffic, so information is sparse.Image: keystone
Nevertheless, Iranians took to the streets again on Sunday night, just as they have every day for two weeks. Exiled human rights activists report that 116 people were killed in clashes with state forces. There may be many more victims: The British BBC, citing doctors, reported that 70 bodies were brought to a clinic in the northern Iranian city of Rasht on Friday alone. There was no confirmation because internet and many telephone connections in Iran have been interrupted since Thursday. The US Center for Human Rights in Iran said a “massacre” was imminent.
Protesters on the rise in some cities
Pahlavi explained on Platform X that he knew of “many” deserters from the police. He called for new protests on Sunday evening. Western experts see signs that Iranian forces are losing out against the demonstrators in some places. In some cities, troops had to withdraw because they did not receive reinforcements, said the US think tank Institute for War Studies (ISW).
Anti-Mullah and Pro-Pahlavi demonstration in Berlin.Image: keystone
Regime leader Ali Khamenei said on Friday that the state would not back down. This suggests that he wants to rely primarily on the regime’s elite force, the Revolutionary Guard. The Guard had put down several uprisings in the past. US President Donald Trump is threatening military intervention against the regime and, according to the New York Times, has had his generals present him with various options. Pahlavi praised Trump’s willingness to help the protesters.
Anti-Shah and anti-Mullah demonstration in London.Image: keystone
The crown prince left Iran in 1978 to train as a fighter pilot in the USA. A year later, his father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had to give up the Peacock Throne and go into exile, where he died a year later.
After almost 50 years in exile, Crown Prince Pahlavi now sees the chance to return home. During the new protests, calls for the restoration of the monarchy were heard several times. Pahlavi cheers on the demonstrators on social media. The Iranians should no longer be satisfied with rallies, but rather “conquer and hold” entire city centers, he said at the weekend.
How much support Pahlavi enjoys in Iran is uncertain. His father was supported on the throne by the USA, Great Britain and Israel and had many people tortured and killed during the almost four decades of his rule. The 1979 revolution against the Shah was supported not only by the Shiite clergy who later seized power, but by many groups in Iranian society. Another argument against Pahlavi is that he hardly knows today’s Iran because of his long exile. Iranians born after the 1979 revolution make up the majority of the population.
A protester in Tehran with a picture of Reza Pahlavi.Image: keystone
The Iranians’ desperation is enormous
Iranian civil society is very heterogeneous, says German-Iranian activist Daniela Sepehri. “There are some who want a return to the monarchy, others reject Reza Pahlavi – especially the ethnic minorities,” Sepehri told CH Media. “Many people are so desperate that they don’t care who comes next – the main thing is that the mullahs are gone.” After the regime is overthrown, there must be free elections so that Iranians can decide for themselves about their future.
In his own words, Pahlavi is not striving for a return to absolute monarchy, but rather a democratic system. A new Iran would work with Israel and the Arab states, he said three years ago at the Munich Security Conference.
Critics suspect Pahlavi of being an accomplice of Americans and Israelis. A visit by Pahlavi to Israel three years ago reinforced this impression. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Israel supported the crown prince with a social media campaign last year. Nevertheless, he has not yet managed to unite the opposition. The doubts about Pahlavi are so great that even Trump – who otherwise places little value on diplomatic details – has so far refused to meet with him. (aargauerzeitung.ch)