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Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran

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Reza Pahlavi
Crown Prince of Iran
Reza Pahlavi II
Pahlavi in 2015
Head of the House of Pahlavi
Tenure31 October 1980[1] – present
PredecessorFarah Diba (as regent in pretence)[1]
Born (1960-10-31) 31 October 1960 (age 64)
Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
Spouse
(m. 1986)
IssuePrincess Noor
Princess Iman
Princess Farah
Names
Template:Lang-en
Template:Lang-fa
FatherMohammad Reza Pahlavi
MotherFarah Diba
ReligionShia Islam[2]
PartyNational Council of Iran
Alma materWilliams College
The American University in Cairo
University of Southern California (BSc)
ResidenceBethesda, Maryland, U.S.[2]
Websiterezapahlavi.org
SignatureReza Pahlavi's signature

Reza Pahlavi (Template:Lang-fa; born 31 October 1960) is the eldest son of Iranian Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his wife Farah Diba. Prior to the Iranian Revolution in 1979, he was the crown prince and the last heir apparent to the throne of the Imperial State of Iran.

Pahlavi is the founder and leader of the self-styled National Council of Iran, an exiled opposition group,[3] and is a prominent critic of Iran's Islamic Republic government.

Early life and education

Pahlavi in 1973
Reza Pahlavi in 1967 after coronation

Reza Pahlavi was born in Tehran as the eldest legitimate son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran and Farah Pahlavi, the Shahbanu of Iran. Pahlavi's siblings include his sister Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi (born 12 March 1963), brother Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi (28 April 1966 – 4 January 2011), and sister Princess Leila Pahlavi (27 March 1970 – 10 June 2001), as well as a half-sister, Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi (born 27 October 1940).

When he was born, the Shah pardoned 98 political prisoners and the government declared a 20% reduction in income tax.[4] He studied at the eponymous "Reza Pahlavi School", a private school located in the royal palace and restricted to the imperial family and court associates.[5] He was trained as a pilot; his first solo flight was at the age of 11, and he obtained his license a year later.[6]

As a cadet of the Imperial Iranian Air Force, he was sent to the United States in August 1978 to continue his pilot training, and was one of 43 cadet pilots in the one-year pilot training program at the former Reese Air Force Base, TX, which included flying the Cessna T-37 Tweet and Northrop T-38 Talon. As a result of the Iranian Revolution, he left the base in March 1979, about four months earlier than planned.[6][7]

Pahlavi began studies at Williams College in September 1979,[8] but dropped out in 1980.[9] He then enrolled at The American University in Cairo as a political science student, but his attendance was irregular.[10] In 1981, it was reported that he had dropped out of the program and continued his studies privately with Iranian professors, with a focus on Persian culture and history, Islamic philosophy, and oil in Iran.[11]

Pahlavi obtained a BSc degree in political science by correspondence from the University of Southern California in 1985. He is fluent in English and French in addition to his native Persian.[8]

Political activities in exile

Reza Pahlavi swearing in as the new king of Iran on 31 October 1980 at Koubbeh Palace, Cairo

Reza Pahlavi came to Cairo, Egypt in March 1980 with his family.[1] When his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was ill and in the last weeks of his life, media reported that some monarchist elements had advised the Shah to oust Reza in favor of his younger son Ali-Reza (who was 13 at the time) and a regency council, suggesting that Reza's background, training and interest in public affairs is too limited to become his successor. The Shah is understood to have rejected the idea, as well as to abdicate himself in favor of one of his two sons.[12] When the Shah died on 27 July 1980, Farah Pahlavi proclaimed herself as the regent, a title in pretence.[1] On his 20th birthday dating 31 October 1980, Reza Pahlavi declared himself to be the new king of Iran, Reza Shah II, and the right successor to the throne of Pahlavi dynasty.[13] Immediately afterwards a spokesperson for the United States Department of State, John Trattner, disassociated the U.S. government from Reza Pahlavi by stating that his government does not intend to support him, assuring that they recognize the Iranian government.[14]

During the year 1981, Pahlavi remained in the Koubbeh Palace and developed close ties to pro-monarchy groups while facing rejection from other opposition groups, including left-wing dissidents.[11] In March, he issued a statement for the Persian New Year and urged all opponents of the Iranian government unite behind him and wage a "national resistance", but chose to remain silent and made no reaction when President Abolhassan Banisadr was deposed and the assassination of tens of officials including Chief Justice Mohammad Beheshti took place in June.[11] In August, Pahlavi announced that he has been secretly planning to overthrow the Iranian government, stating "So far I have been unwilling to unveil the existence of the concerted plans for I do not wish to jeopardize the lives of some of our best children... many of our actions have been unknown to you, but I want to assure you that the necessary steps are being taken in the best orderly way to save Iran".[15]

In 1982, Yaakov Nimrodi told BBC in a radio interview that along with Adolph Schwimmer and Adnan Khashoggi, he was involved with Reza Pahlavi and Gen. Said Razvani to scheme a coup d'état and install him in Iran.[16] According to Samuel Segev, the plan had the approval of both the CIA and the Israeli cabinet but it was abandoned when Menachem Begin resigned in 1983 and the new leadership "thought Israel should not be involved in a new adventure".[16]

On 1 May 1986, Pahlavi disclosed that he has recently formed a government-in-exile with an aim to establish a constitutional monarchy once again in Iran.[17]

On his website, Pahlavi has said that the state of Iran should become democratic and secular, and human rights should be respected. Whether the form of government would be that of a constitutional monarchy or a republic is something that he would like to leave up to the people of Iran.[18][19]

Pahlavi has used his high profile as an Iranian abroad to campaign for human rights, democracy and unity among Iranians in and outside Iran.[20] On his website he calls for a separation of religion and state in Iran and for free and fair elections "for all freedom-loving individuals and political ideologies". He exhorts all groups dedicated to a democratic agenda to work together for a democratic and secular Iranian government.[21]

In February 2011, after violence erupted in Tehran, Pahlavi said that Iran's youth were determined to get rid of an authoritarian government tainted by corruption and misrule in the hope of installing a democracy. "Fundamental and necessary change is long overdue for our region and we have a whole generation of young Egyptians and Iranians not willing to take no for an answer", he told The Daily Telegraph. "Democratisation is now an imperative that cannot be denied. It is only a matter of time before the whole region can transform itself."[22]

In June 2018, he made this comment: "I believe Iran must be a secular, parliamentary democracy. The final form has to be decided by the people."[23] In a presentation at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in December 2018, Pahlavi called for non-military support of those in Iran who were trying to replace the Islamist regime with a secular democracy. According to a news report, he was "not openly calling for the restoration of the Peacock Throne ... He casts himself more as a symbol than a politician, but has called himself 'ready to serve my country'".[24]

Pahlavi maintains close ties to the Israel lobby in the United States, a relationship compared by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt to those of Ahmed Chalabi: pro-Israel groups promote Pahlavi in exchange for his assurance that if he comes to power in Iran, the country will be on friendly terms with Israel.[25]

Succession

Reza Pahlavi II is first in the line of succession to his late father, while his younger brother Ali-Reza Pahlavi II was second in line until he committed suicide in 2011.[26] Prior to his birth, the presumptive heir was Patrick Ali Pahlavi, the crown prince's uncle.

In February 2019, he launched an initiative called the Phoenix Project of Iran. According to the National Interest, this is “designed to bring the various strains of the opposition closer to a common vision for a post-clerical Iran.”[27]

Within Iran

A report published by the Brookings Institution in 2009 said that Pahlavi lacked an organized following within Iran since there was no serious monarchist movement in Iran itself. The report described Pahlavi as having "little in common with the intellectuals and students who make up the core of the reform movement".[28]

During 2017–18 Iranian protests, some videos on social media showed demonstrators chanting slogans in favor of Pahlavi's grandfather and calling for his return.[29][30] On many occasions the videos indicated the royalist slogans prompts others in the crowd to shout the slogans down.[31]

After the January 2018 protests, Pahlavi and pro-monarchy sentiment experienced a resurgence in Iran.[32][33]

Among Iranian expatriates

Pahlavi enjoys wide popularity with the older generation of Iranian expatriates that left Iran at the time of the 1979 revolution and with some people in Iran.[34][better source needed] In 2006, Connie Bruck of The New Yorker wrote that Los Angeles is home to about 600,000 Iranian expatriates, and said it was a monarchist stronghold.[35]

A 2013 survey of Iranian-Americans conducted by George Mason University's Center for Social Science Research found that 79% of respondents did not support any Iranian opposition groups or figures. Of the 15% that did, only 20% supported him.[36] According to the "Iranian Political Tendencies" poll conducted by the Goman Institute in May 2018 among 19,000 participants, Reza Pahlavi had the "most popularity in Iranian society" with 37.9%.[37][38]

Alleged foreign support

File:Crown Prince Reza of Iran and US President Jimmy Carter, 1978.jpg
Crown Prince Reza with US President Jimmy Carter in 1978

Bob Woodward wrote in 1986 that the Reagan administration authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to support and fund Iranian exiles, including Pahlavi. The agency transmitted his 11-minute speech during which he vowed "I will return" to Iranian television by pirating its frequency.[39] The Tower Commission report, published in 1987, also acknowledged that the CIA was behind this event[40] while a group in Paris calling itself 'Flag of Freedom' had took responsibility for the act in September 1986.[41]

James Mann wrote in February 1989 that when he asked the CIA about whether they help Pahlavi, they refused to comment and a spokesperson of the agency told him "We would not confirm nor deny an intelligence matter".[42]

In 2006, Connie Bruck of The New Yorker wrote that "Pahlavi had CIA funding for a number of years in the eighties, but it ended after the Iran-Contra scandal".[35] Andrew Friedman of Haverford College states that Pahlavi began cooperation with the CIA after he met director William J. Casey and received a monthly stipend, citing Pahlavi's financial advisor and other observers. Friedman also connects his residence in Great Falls, Virginia to its proximity to George Bush Center for Intelligence, headquarters of the service.[43]

In 2009, Pahlavi denied receiving U.S. government aid or any foreign aid in an interview with The New York Times. Pahlavi said "No, no. I don't rely on any sources other than my own compatriots" and denied allegations of working with the CIA, calling the allegations "absolutely and unequivocally false".[2] However, in 2017 he told Jon Gambrell of the Associated Press: "My focus right now is on liberating Iran, and I will find any means that I can, without compromising the national interests and independence, with anyone who is willing to give us a hand, whether it is the U.S. or the Saudis or the Israelis or whomever it is."[44]

Personal life

Relationships and marriage

According to a People article published in 1978, Pahlavi dated a "blond, blue-eyed Swedish model he met in Rome".[45] The same publication also reported that he lived with his girlfriend while living in Lubbock, Texas.[45] As of 1980, he had an Egyptian girlfriend who was a student of The American University in Cairo, reportedly "closely guarded" by bodyguards.[10]

Pahlavi began a relationship with Yasmine Etemad-Amini in 1985, and a year later married her, then aged 17, at 25 years of age.[8] The couple have three daughters: Noor (born April 3, 1992), Iman (born September 12, 1993), and Farah (born January 17, 2004).

In 2004, Pahlavi was named as the "unofficial godfather" of Princess Louise of Belgium, the eighth granddaughter of King Albert II of Belgium.[46]

Hobbies

Pahlavi was a keen football player and spectator. He was fan of the capital's football club Esteghlal, then known as Taj (lit.'Crown') and his support was even televised by the National Iranian Radio and Television. The club performed in annual rallies organized on his birthday, which as a result identified the club with the Pahlavi's regime.[47]

In 1981, UPI reported that Pahlavi attends the elite Gueziro Club in Cairo to watch tennis and occasionally is seen in discotheques at hotels in the vicinity of Nile.[11]

Religious beliefs

When interviewed about religion, Pahlavi said, "That's a private matter; but if you must know, I am, of course, by education and by conviction, a Shia Muslim. I am very much a man of faith."[2] Iranian writer Reza Bayegan also notes that Crown Prince Reza is allegedly “deeply attached” to his Muslim faith. He has performed the Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca.[48]

Occupation

In 1989, The Washington Post reported that Pahlavi is unemployed.[8] Asked about his sources of income, he replied that he has been financially supported by "friends and family" in the past seven years.[8] In 2017, he told the Associated Press that since 1979 he has had no "side occupation" (with regard to political activities), adding that his money comes from his family and "many Iranians who have supported the cause".[44] According to a December 2018 news report by Politico, "he is thought to live mainly on what's left of his family wealth, his only full-time job being speaking out about Iran".[49]

Shahbazi v. Pahlavi

In 1990, Ali Haydar Shahbazi, a former Imperial Guard member who worked for Pahlavi as a longtime bodyguard filed a lawsuit in the district court of Alexandria, Virginia, accusing Pahlavi of breaching Iranian tradition by breaking his pledge to take care of him financially.[50] Shahbazi, then aged 58, said in the court he abandoned more than $400,000 in property in Iran because Pahlavi assured him "I'm going to pay your expenses and everything. I'm going to take care of you better than my father {did}" when he was hired, and then fired him with a handshake and $9,000 in 1989.[50] Shahbazi asked compensation for the $30,000 in taxes and penalties as well as an undetermined amount of money for his retirement.[50] Pahlavi's attorney dismissed the claim, saying that Shahbazi has received gifts worth several thousand dollars and was allowed to live luxuriously in Pahlavi's house in Great Falls, Virginia, adding that the servant was fired because his client ran out of money.[51] Pahlavi agreed that Shahbazi was a loyal friend but he offered support as long as he could.[50] He also told the judge "I was not involved in the day-to-day handling of my financial affairs".[50]

In 1991, District Judge Albert Vickers Bryan Jr. argued that Pahlavi "had little knowledge of how his estate's money was spent and could not be held personally accountable for employment agreements with servants", declaring the case dismissed.[51] According to media reports, Pahlavi began to cry in the court when the judge threw out the case.[52][51]

Ansari v. Pahlavi

In 1990, Pahlavi and Ahmad Ali Massoud Ansari, his close aide and financial adviser, filed lawsuits against each other.[53] Ansari was accused of embezzlement amounting $24 million by Pahlavi, while Ansari claimed $1.7 million lien against Pahlavi.[53] During the trial, Pahlavi's attorney told the court "[d]ue to the demands of his political responsibilities and his lack of experience in financial matters, Pahlavi had to trust completely in Ansari for the management of his funds... over the years, no one supplanted Ansari in any way in Pahlavi's trust. Conversely, no one betrayed Pahlavi's trust any more than Ansari", going further to accuse Ansari as "an agent" for the Islamic Republic of Iran.[53] Ansari denied the accusations and blamed Pahlavi for squandering the money with his extravagance, stating he faithfully carried out orders that Pahlavi was aware of.[53]

The court asked Ansari to provide a complete accounting of his handling of the money, but he alleged that the documents have been destroyed to prevent a potential seizure. In 1996, the court ruled that Ansari should repay $7.3 million to Pahlavi and fined him an additional $2 million.[53]

Television network

In November 2014, Pahlavi founded his own television and radio network called Ofogh Iran.[54] In July 2017 it was reported that the Ofogh Iran International Media telethon no longer belongs to Reza Pahlavi.[55]

Bibliography

  • Gozashteh va Ayandeh, London: Kayham Publishing, 2000. (in Persian)
  • Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran, Regnery Publishing Inc., 2002, ISBN 0-89526-191-X.[56]
  • Iran: L'Heure du Choix, Denoël, 2009. (in French)

Honours

National

  • Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi (26 September 1967, Iran)
  • Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi Coronation Medal (26 October 1967, Iran)
  • 25th Centennial Anniversary Medal (14 October 1971, Iran)
  • Persepolis Medal (15 October 1971, Iran)

Foreign

Other recognitions

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Former Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi will proclaim himself the new shah of Iran", United Press International, 17 October 1980, retrieved 25 January 2019, His Imperial Highness Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran, will reach his constitutional majority on the 9th of Aban, 1359 (October 31, 1980). On this date, and in conformity with the Iranian Constitution, the regency of Her Imperial Majesty Farah Pahlavi, Shahbanou of Iran, will come to an end and His Imperial Highness, who on this occasion will send a message to the people of Iran, will succeed his father, His Imperial Majesty Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, deceased in Cairo on Mordad 5, 1359 (July 27, 1980).
  2. ^ a b c d Soloman, Deborah (26 June 2009). "The Exile". The New York Times Magazine.
  3. ^ Maciej Milczanowski (2014), "US Policy towards Iran under President Barack Obama's Administration" (PDF), Hemispheres: Studies on Cultures and Societies, 29 (4), Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures Polish Academy of Sciences: 53–66, ISSN 0239-8818
  4. ^ Freedland, Jonathan (26 January 1997), "The Prince's Trust: The Boy Who Lost Everything", The Observer, London, United Kingdom, pp. 97, 168–169
  5. ^ Axthelm, Pete; Brynner, Victoria (3 April 1989). "The Man Who Would Be Shah". People. 31 (13). Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Pahlavi recalls 'tremendous boost to my morale' during Air Force training in Lubbock", Lubbock Online, Avalanche-Journal Media, 9 January 2018, retrieved 25 January 2019
  7. ^ "Caprock Chronicles: Lubbock once home to crown prince of Iran", Lubbock Online, 10 February 2018, retrieved 25 January 2019
  8. ^ a b c d e Hall, Carla (21 May 1989), "The Shah Without a Country", The Washington Post, retrieved 25 January 2019
  9. ^ "Empress Farah Dibah Pahlavi: My son may one day return to his country and take over his father's throne", United Press International, 23 July 1984, retrieved 25 January 2019
  10. ^ a b Guindi, Maurice (30 October 1980), "Fulfilling his father's deathbed wish, Crown Prince Reza will proclaim himself shah of Iran", United Press International, retrieved 25 January 2019
  11. ^ a b c d "Former Student Prince Aims at Iranian Throne", The United Press International, Pittsfield, Massachusetts: The Berkshire Eagle, p. 23, 6 August 1981
  12. ^ Koven, Ronald (28 July 1980), "Royal Heir: Family Hails Elder Son as New Shah", Washington Post Service, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, p. 7
  13. ^ "Shah's Son Names Himself King, Bids Iran to End Its 'Nightmare'", Herald Wire Service, Miami, Florida: The Miami Herald, p. 14, 1 November 1980
  14. ^ Schweid, Barry (1 November 1980), "U.S. Vows Recognition, No Sanctions for Iran", The Associated Press, Miami, Florida: The Miami Herald, p. 14
  15. ^ "Reza II vows to oust Khomeini", The Associated Press, Indianapolis, Indiana: The Indianapolis News, p. 1, 5 August 1981
  16. ^ a b Fisher, Dan (28 October 1988), "Sharon Linked to '82 Anti-Khomeini Coup Plot", The Los Angeles Times, retrieved 15 September 2020
  17. ^ "Shah's Son to Wed... Someone", Times-Advocate, Escondido, California, p. 2, 3 May 1986
  18. ^ April 2011 Q&A, Question 4 Archived 12 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine rezapahlavi.org
  19. ^ December Q&A, Question 7 Archived 12 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine rezapahlavi.org
  20. ^ Prinz Reza Pahlavi über den Iran: "Dieses Regime ist äußerst anti-religiös" Archived 4 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. (interview with Reza Pahlavi, in German) Zenit.org (31 March 2010). Retrieved on 9 June 2012.
  21. ^ Reza Pahlavi. The Challenge Of Implementing Democracy And Human Rights In Iran. The International Society Of Human Rights – Bonn, Germany, 27 March 2010. Rezapahlavi.com
  22. ^ Iran's Crown Prince calls on West to support anti-government protests. Telegraph. 16 February 2011. Retrieved on 9 June 2012.
  23. ^ "The Late Shah's Son Wants a Democratic Revolution in Iran". Bloomberg. 19 June 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2019. From exile, Reza Pahlavi supports a movement to retake his homeland. But he says he doesn't want a throne.
  24. ^ "Son of deposed Iranian Shah calls for U.S.-backed regime change". Politico. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2019. In a sign that he welcomes the higher visibility, Pahlavi made a rare public appearance.
  25. ^ Mearsheimer, John J.; Stephen, Walt (2007), The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, p. 293, ISBN 978-0-374-17772-0, Toward this end, the lobby has struck up a close relationship with Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran. He is believed to have had personal meetings with both Sharon and Netanyahu, and he has extensive contacts with pro-Israel groups and individuals in the United States. The evolving relationship is much like the one that influential groups in the lobby had previously cultivated with Iraqi exile Ahmed Chalabi. Seemingly unaware that Pahlavi (like Chalabi) has little legitimacy in his homeland, pro-Israel groups have promoted his cause. In return, he makes it clear that if he were to come to power in Iran, he would make sure that his country has friendly relations with Israel.
  26. ^ "Iran Reacts to Suicide of the Shah's Son". TIME. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2019. Pahlavi's older brother Reza, first in line to the throne
  27. ^ Harounoff, Jonathan (13 August 2019). "The White House Once Labeled Them Terrorists. Now They're Being Called Iran's Next Government". Haaretz.
  28. ^ "Toppling Tehran". Which Path to Persia?: Options for a New American Strategy toward Iran. Brookings Institution. June 2009. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-8157-0379-2. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  29. ^ John Walcott; James Dalgleish, eds. (4 January 2018), "U.S. should clear way for tech companies to help Iranians: former crown prince", Reuters, retrieved 1 February 2018 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  30. ^ "Iran Protests: Who are the Iranian Opposition and who will Rule if the Regime Falls", Newsweek, 5 January 2018, retrieved 1 February 2018 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  31. ^ Mather, Yassamine (2018), "The political economy of Iran's Islamic state, Donald Trump and threats of war", Critique, 46 (3): 443–469, doi:10.1080/03017605.2018.1496543, ISSN 1748-8605, S2CID 150167382
  32. ^ Rozen, Laura (14 December 2018). "Son of deposed shah urges US to back Iran regime change". Al-Monitor.
  33. ^ Toosi, Nahal. "Son of deposed Iranian Shah calls for U.S.-backed regime change". POLITICO.
  34. ^ Lone, Mahlia (1 July 2016). "Memorable Romance: The Shah & I". Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  35. ^ a b Connie Bruck (6 March 2006). "Exiles: How Iran's Expatriates are Gaming the Nuclear Threat". The New Yorker. p. 48.
  36. ^ "National Public Opinion Survey of Iranian Americans" (PDF), Center for Social Science Research, George Mason University, Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), p. 10, 2013, retrieved 11 June 2017
  37. ^ Iranian political tendencies poll report Archived 2019-12-06 at the Wayback Machine، مؤسسه گَمان
  38. ^ "مقبولیت شخصیت های سیاسی: رضا پهلوی بیشترین محبوبیت را در جامعه ایران دارد". گَمان - گروه مطالعات افکارسنجی ایرانیان (in Persian). 10 June 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  39. ^ Bob Woodward (19 November 1986). "CIA Support for Exiles, Other Covert Iran Activity Reported". The Washington Post. Retrieved 17 May 2017 – via Los Angeles Times Archive.
  40. ^ "United States President's Special Review Board". The Tower Commission Report: The Full Text of the President's Special Review Board. A New York Times special. Bantam Books. 1987. p. 398. ISBN 9780553269680. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  41. ^ "Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, son of the late shah...", United Press International, 23 September 1986
  42. ^ Mann, James (9 February 1989), "Don't Trust Khomeini, Shah's Son Warns U.S.", The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, p. 12
  43. ^ Friedman, Andrew (2013). "Iran-Contra As Built Space". Covert Capital: Landscapes of Denial and the Making of U.S. Empire in the Suburbs of Northern Virginia. American Crossroads. Vol. 7. University of California Press. p. 274. ISBN 9780520274648. Not only was it not surprising that Reza Pahlavi ended up in the Northern Virginia suburbs, it would be hard to imagine him going anywhere else. Ex-CIA agents in McLean began offering Shah Reza Pahlavi estates and farms as retreats in Northern Virginia as early as 1979, swearing they could spirit him past immigration officials at Dulles Airport. A major reason the younger Pahlavi moved to Great Falls was political. Building his house some ten minutes away from Langley, he was, at the time, according to his advisor and other observers, receiving a monthly CIA stipend. After a meeting with Bill Casey in Rabat, they began what Pahlavi called "mutual cooperation in intelligence... for mutual benefits." Although he denied he took agency money, his financial advisor once claimed that Pahlavi's stipend rose at times to $150,000 a month. A large picture of him hung on the wall in Langley's Iran division at this time, accompanied by the moniker "The Hope of Democracy of Iran". This "Iran" in Iran-Contra at times created complexities for the arms-selling project. In September 1986, a CIA technical strike blocked TV signals on national Iranian TV to broadcast an eleven-minute speech by Reza Cyrus, then resident in Northern Virginia, into Iran.
  44. ^ a b Jon Gambrell (9 April 2017). "Iran's long-exiled prince wants a revolution in age of Trump". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  45. ^ a b Demaret, Kent; Williams, Keith (9 October 1978), "A Shah-in-Training Learns About Air Force Tradition and Sweet Texas Accents", People, retrieved 25 January 2019
  46. ^ The Roman Catholic Church, the Church of the child being baptized, does not accept non-Catholics as godparents, given the religious nature of the role, so Pahlavi's role was downgraded to unofficial, not formal. Kadivar, Darius. "ROYAL CURTSY: Crown Prince Reza Godfather to Belgium's Prince Prince Laurent's Daughter". Iranian.com: Persian Realm.
  47. ^ Fringe Nations in World Soccer. Routledge. 2013. p. 87. ISBN 9781317998105. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  48. ^ Reza Bayegan. "Reza Pahlavi and the Question of Religion". Payvand.
  49. ^ "Son of deposed Iranian Shah calls for U.S.-backed regime change". Politico. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  50. ^ a b c d e Howe, Robert F. (25 January 1991), "Lawsuit Against Son of Shah is Dismissed by U.S. Judge", The Washington Post, retrieved 15 September 2020
  51. ^ a b c Howe, Robert F. (24 January 1991), "U.S. Law Meets Persian Culture in VA", The Washington Post, retrieved 15 September 2020
  52. ^ Toure, Yemi (28 January 1991), "In This Corner...: If...", The Los Angeles Times, retrieved 15 September 2020
  53. ^ a b c d e Hsu, Spencer S. (22 July 1996), "Reversal of Fortune", The Washington Post, retrieved 15 September 2020
  54. ^ "About - افق ایران". ofoghiran.tv.
  55. ^ Behnegarsoft.com. "رسانه ايران - "افق ایران، دیگر متعلق به شاهزاده رضا پهلوی نیست"". rasanehiran.com. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  56. ^ "Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran". Middle East Quarterly. 14 (1). 1 June 2002. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
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  58. ^ "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF).
  59. ^ "Reply to a parliamentary question" (PDF) (in German). p. 458. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  60. ^ Guidance for Honours in the De Jure Kingdom of Rwanda
  61. ^ RFE/RL (22 March 2012). "Farda Audience Picks Late Shah's Son As Iran's Person Of The Year". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
  62. ^ Talbot, Victoria (26 January 2017). "Beverly Hills News – Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi Seeks Support For Peaceful Revolution".
  63. ^ "The Mayor of Beverly Hills Presenting the Key to the City to The Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi". YouTube. January 2017.
Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran
Born: 31 October 1960
Titles in pretence
Preceded byas Regent in pretence — TITULAR —
Shahanshah of Iran
Light of the Aryans

31 October 1980 – present
Reason for succession failure:
Monarchy abolished in 1979
Incumbent
Heir:
Patrick Ali Pahlavi
Lines of succession
Vacant
Title last held by
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Crown Prince of Iran
26 October 1967 – 11 February 1979
Vacant
Party political offices
New title
Party established
President of National Council of Iran
April 2013 – 16 September 2017
Succeeded by
Leadership Council