Son Of Deposed Iranian Shah Says He Is 'More Than Ever Ready' To Step In Amid Unrest

Last Updated:January 07, 2026, 18:42 IST

Reza Pahlavi said that his role was to help Iranians achieve a peaceful change through a national referendum and a constitutional assembly.

A protester holds a placard of Iranian opposition leader and son of the last Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi. (AFP photo)

Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has said that he is more than ever ready to step into Iran as protests continue to escalates in the country.

Speaking to Fox News, Pahlavi said he had stepped forward “at the call of my compatriots" to lead a transition from tyranny to a future democracy.

The former crown prince explained that his role was to help Iranians achieve a peaceful change through a national referendum and a constitutional assembly.

“I’m impartial as to what the ultimate result will be, so long as it’s a secular democracy," he said. “I’ve trained all my life to serve my nation. I’m there to serve and help them achieve that goal. And I’m more than ever ready to step in Iran as soon as the situation warrants itself. And I’ll be there with my compatriots to lead the ultimate battle."

The protests, which began on December 28, was triggered by anger over rising living costs. They started with a shutdown by merchants in the Tehran bazaar, a major economic hub, and have since spread to other areas, especially in western Iran, home to Kurdish and Lor minority groups.

Several videos shared by news outlets show demonstrators shouting slogans such as “Pahlavi will return" and “Seyyed Ali will be overthrown," referring to the monarchy ousted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Protesters have also been seen chanting “freedom" and “shameless."

At least 27 protesters, including five minors, have been killed, the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said. Iranian authorities also reported deaths among security forces, including a policeman who was shot dead on Tuesday.

The unrest is the most serious in Iran since the 2022–2023 nationwide rallies sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, though it has yet to reach the scale of those protests or the mass 2009 street demonstrations that followed disputed elections.

Amid economic crisis and the aftermath of the 12-day war against Israel in June last year, the current unrest presents a fresh challenge for Iran’s leadership.

(With inputs from agencies)

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