After Khamenei, Will Reza Pahlavi Usher In Regime Change in Iran?

With the official confirmation of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei's death, the question that looms amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia is who will be the next Supreme Leader?

Among the prominent names being discussed as a potential successor is that of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled Crown Prince of Iran. 

The son of the last Shah has been vocal about the developments of the conflict in Iran. Most recently, he called upon the people of Iran as news of the Ayatollah’s death was confirmed. Taking to X, Pahlavi echoed US President Donald Trump’s sentiments of liberating the people of Iran from the iron grip of Khamenei, whom the Pahlavi described as "the bloodthirsty despot of our time" and "the murderer of tens of thousands of Iran’s bravest sons and daughters." 

He added that with his death, "the Islamic Republic has in effect reached its end and will very soon be consigned to the dustbin of history."

Who is Reza Pahlavi? 

Pahlavi, who has lived abroad since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that deposed his father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has increasingly become a leading voice among opposition groups calling for the end of clerical rule in Iran.

During the 12-day war in Iran in June 2025, Pahlavi claimed, “I am not seeking power,” and “I am committed to a transition that preserves Iran’s territorial integrity and embraces individual freedoms, equal rights for all citizens, and a firm separation of religion and state,” when asked if he envisions himself leading Iran’s future or returning as monarch.

However, following the Ayatollah’s death on early Saturday, the exiled prince has declared the Islamic Republic has “effectively come to an end.”

The Islamic Revolution that ousted the Shah

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Reza Pahlavi’s father, was the last Shah of Iran. He was overthrown in 1979 during the Iranian Revolution, a mass movement that ended centuries of monarchy and ushered in a new Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. His downfall was driven by years of rising public anger over authoritarian rule, economic inequality, religious alienation, and perceived submission to Western influence.

By late 1978, mass protests engulfed the country. Broad segments of society, including religious leaders, students, workers, and the middle class, joined in calling for the Shah’s ouster. As demonstrations intensified and oil workers launched crippling strikes, the regime’s control collapsed. Facing overwhelming opposition, the Shah fled Iran on January 16, 1979. He never returned.

After the revolution, Pahlavi and his family left Iran and have lived mainly in exile, particularly in the United States.

In April 1979, a national referendum abolished the monarchy, and the Islamic Republic of Iran was officially declared, marking a dramatic shift from a secular monarchy to a theocratic state.

Controversy's Child

However, while Reza may be in the good books of the US, he remains unpopular and controversial in some communities in Iran due to the reign of his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. 

With US backing, the Shah consolidated power and ruled with increasing authoritarianism, following a CIA-backed coup in 1953 that removed Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. 

In his reign, political opposition was crushed, censorship was widespread, and dissenters were brutally suppressed by SAVAK, the feared secret police. These repressive tactics created a climate of fear and deepened public resentment.

The Shah's modernisation programme, known as the White Revolution, included land reforms, education initiatives, and greater rights for women. While some hailed these as progressive, many Iranians, particularly the powerful Shi’a clergy, viewed them as an assault on Islamic values and Iranian traditions. Ayatollah Khomeini, exiled in the 1960s, became a central figure in rallying opposition against these policies.

Economically, the country experienced rapid growth thanks to rising oil revenues in the 1970s, but the benefits were unevenly distributed. Many Iranians saw little improvement in their lives, while corruption and excess flourished. The Shah’s extravagant 1971 celebration of 2,500 years of monarchy held amid growing poverty came to symbolize the regime’s disconnect from the people.

Can he be the successor? 

In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Pahlavi addressed the looming question of Iran’s leadership. 

Claiming that the Iranian people have sought his leadership, Pahlavi has “answered their call.”

The former crown prince promises a “democratic Iran” that would “transform the Middle East” under his leadership, which would “turn one of the world’s most persistent sources of upheaval into a pillar of stability.” 

He has further guaranteed that the transfer of power would see the formation of a new constitution adopted by referendum and free elections with international oversight. 

Writing on the matter of Israel, Pahlavi promised that his free Iran would immediately recognise Israel while pursuing cooperation with the country and the Arab nations. 

“Iran is not Iraq”, he noted that there will be dissolutions of institutions, no power vacuum and no chaos. 

Notably, the exiled leader has written elaborately on Trump’s “moral clarity and decisive action” against the Iranian regime. Further praising the US President, he claimed that, unlike the Iranian regime’s hatred for America, the people of Iran love America and are grateful for giving Iran a chance at freedom.  

In closing, he wrote, “President Trump will be remembered as a leader who stood with them (Iranian people)  when it mattered the most.” 

Meanwhile, Trump told CBS News that he is aware of “some good candidates” to lead Iran. Not disclosing further he said, “I know exactly who, but I can't tell you.”

When pressed on whether there is someone in Iran he would prefer to see assume leadership, Trump said, “Yes, I think so. There are some good candidates.” He did not elaborate further on whom he was referencing.

As the conflict in Iran deepens with the death of the Supreme Leader, the candidacy of Reza Pahlavi might be the regime change the US and Israel need.