Since the overthrow of his father, Iran's last shah, Reza Pahlavi has spent nearly half a century exiled in the United States.

In uprisings in recent years, including at the start of 2026, Pahlavi has used his platform to call for greater action on the streets of Iran. As protests continue across Iran, he has cast himself as a pro-secular, pro-democratic voice in support of regime change. 

Born in 1960, Pahlavi is the eldest son of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his wife, Farah. He was formally named crown prince at the age of 7 during his father’s own coronation in 1967.

But Pahlavi has been unable to return to Iran since the overthrow of the US-aligned monarchy in 1979 in response to political suppression and rising inequality, leading to the theocratic regime that has ruled the country ever since.

Pahlavi had been undergoing fighter pilot training in the United States at the time of the revolution. He went on to study political science at the University of Southern California and permanently establish himself in the United States. He now speaks out against Iran's regime and has positioned himself as an advocate for democracy. 

https://www.dw.com/en/exiled-crown-prince-pahlavi-cheers-iran-protests-from-us/a-75466258

 

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Trump tells Iranian protesters 'help is on its way'Roshni Majumdar | Karl Sexton with AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa

 

US President Donald Trump called upon demonstrators in Iran to "keep protesting" against state institutions. Trump has previously threatened to intervene in response to the crackdown meted out on protesters. DW has more.

WATCH: Merz says Iranian regime has lost all legitimacy
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on Iran's authorities to end violence against protesters. "I believe we are now seeing the final days and weeks of this regime," he said during a visit to Bengaluru, India.

Hannah Neumann, a Member of the European Parliament from the Greens group and chair of its delegation for relations with Iran, spoke with DW about the unrest in Iran and the EU's response.

Neumann said European leaders were trying to show solidarity with anti-government protesters. At the same time, they wanted to send clear messages to the regime that the violence was outrageous and unacceptable.

But she said the EU has to do more, saying, "We will need more of a response than just calling in ambassadors."

Neumann said an effective way to censure Iranian authorities would be to put the Islamic Revolutionary Guard on the EU's terror list, a measure that has faced obstacles for years.

"So first of all, we need to finally, finally, put the Revolutionary Guard on the EU's terror list. They're terrorizing their own people," she said, adding:

"But I actually also think it is time to expel ambassadors and ambassadorial personnel from the European Union, because they are clearly misusing the diplomatic privileges for transnational oppression."

"This regime is clearly showing at the moment that they have no interest in dialogue. So why should we still continue to give them this preferential access to the European Union?"

Neumann also called for the EU to support different opposition groups to make it "very clear that in our perspective, this regime has really lost and there is no way for the people in this regime to return to normal." 

https://www.dw.com/en/trump-tells-iranian-protesters-help-is-on-its-way/live-75483027

 

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West seeking to ‘destroy’ Iran through ‘color revolution’ – Moscow
Illegal sanctions pressure is the root cause of the protests in Iran, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said

The West is seeking regime change in Iran and is using the color-revolution playbook, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said, commenting on the ongoing protests in the Islamic Republic.

Foreign nations want to turn a peaceful protest into “cruel and senseless unrest,” she warned, adding that Moscow condemns interference in Iran’s internal affairs.

US President Donald Trump has openly expressed his support for the protesters in recent days. The US is “locked and loaded” to intervene in Iran to support the demonstrations, he said, adding that America would “start shooting” if the authorities use force against the crowds.

Israel openly endorsed the unrest as well. Its national intelligence agency Mossad has admitted to having operatives in the Islamic Republic.

Tehran has blamed the protests on Washington and West Jerusalem by saying that the US and Israel had a “big hand” in the unrest.

Russia “resolutely condemns disruptive foreign interference” in Iran’s domestic politics, Zakharova told journalists on Tuesday. Washington’s threats to use force against the Islamic Republic are “absolutely unacceptable,”she said, warning that any strikes against Iran could destabilize the entire Middle East.

The spokeswoman also blamed the economic crisis in Iran that triggered the protests on Western sanctions. The West has been “pressuring” Iran for years through the illegal restrictions, she said, adding that the sanctions were affecting the lives of ordinary people. Now, Western nations are trying to exploit the resulting social and economic tensions to “destroy the Iranian state,” she said.

The protests erupted in several Iranian cities on December 28, as the national currency, the rial, hit a record low. They quickly spread to other cities and turned political and violent, marking the worst unrest in recent years.

On Monday, Trump stated that Washington was considering “strong options” against Iran amid the unrest. On Tuesday, the US warned Americans to “leave Iran” immediately. Tehran has previously warned that it could target US forces in the Middle East if Washington tries to intervene.

https://www.rt.com/russia/630927-west-destroy-iran-color-revolution/

 

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         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

SEE ALSO: 

ganging up with tolerance...

 

https://www.rt.com/news/630930-trump-iranians-take-over-institutions/