The chilling chant of 'Javid Shah!' – Long live the Shah – echoes through the frosty streets of Iran's holy cities, a defiant cry against the ruling theocracy. This rallying call for the exiled Pahlavi monarchy has become a potent symbol for tens of thousands of protesters braving bullets and batons.
The Voice of Exile: Pahlavi's Pivotal Moment
For the first time since the latest wave of demonstrations erupted, Reza Pahlavi, the 65-year-old exiled Crown Prince and son of Iran's last Shah, has broken his silence in an exclusive interview. He describes the current crisis as Iran's 'Berlin Wall moment', asserting the Islamic Republic is on the brink of collapse. "Protesters are chanting my name across Iran," Pahlavi states. "It is a huge responsibility they are placing on my shoulders. It is a responsibility I accept."
He clarifies, however, that he does not seek a throne. "I step forward not as a ruler-in-waiting but as a steward of national transition to democracy," he explains, pledging to unite monarchists, republicans, secular and religious activists. Having fled during the 1979 Islamic Revolution at age 18, Pahlavi has not returned to his homeland in 47 years, dedicating his life to opposing the clerical regime.
A Plea to the West and a Rebuke to Starmer
Pahlavi's frustration is palpable when discussing the international response, particularly that of the UK. He condemns Prime Minister Keir Starmer's "limp" joint statement with France and Germany, which merely urged Iranian authorities to "exercise restraint". "I can't imagine him being silent in previous eras about the struggle against apartheid," Pahlavi remarks pointedly.
He reserves his strongest criticism for the government's failure to proscribe Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, a pledge Starmer made in opposition. "Proscribing is vital to protect your own national security interests," Pahlavi warns, alleging IRGC "tentacles" operate within the UK in sleeper cells, universities, and charities. "It's like a weed in your garden. You chop it, but it grows back."
He welcomed former US President Donald Trump's ultimatum to the regime and urged other Western governments to follow suit, highlighting that the regime has killed hundreds of protesters and arrested thousands in recent days.
Confronting the Past, Imagining the Future
Pahlavi does not shy away from the controversies of his father's rule, which ended amid accusations of corruption and brutality. "I'm not denying there were problems," he concedes, referencing the 1978 'Black Friday' massacre where the Shah's soldiers killed at least 64 protesters in Tehran. He also addresses the infamous 1971 Persepolis festival, a £200 million extravaganza that inflamed public anger in a impoverished nation.
Dismissing claims of a billionaire lifestyle funded by foreign states, Pahlavi insists his campaign is supported by private citizens. He lives with his wife, Princess Yasmine, in a substantial property in Washington DC and remains close to his mother, former Empress Farah, 87, in Paris.
Looking ahead, Pahlavi is convinced a free Iran is within reach and would be a force for global stability. His vision of return is strikingly modest: a celebratory meal in a simple Tehran kebab house he visited as a boy. It is a far cry from the opulence of the past, but a powerful image for a nation whose people, chanting his name in the squares, dare to imagine a different future.
