Reza Pahlavi’s Role in Iran’s New Protest Wave (Full Transcript)

[00:00:04] Speaker 1: Daring chants on the streets of Tehran calling for the return of Iran's monarchy. We haven't heard this in past waves of protests. Some of the demonstrators appear to be heeding the calls of this man, Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the last Shah of Iran. So who is Reza Pahlavi and what role is he playing in these protests that have spread like a wildfire across every province of Iran? The 65-year-old came to the United States when he was 17 and remained exiled there after his father, the former Shah, was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. For years, the exiled crown prince has sought to present himself as a man who can lead Iran's opposition and rid the country of the repressive, theocratic rule. And with this new wave of protests sparked by the state of the economy that quickly morphed into anti-regime demonstrations, Pahlavi appears to be seizing the moment. In a Washington Post op-ed this week, he said he doesn't see protesters chanting his name as a claim to power. Instead, he sees himself as a unifying transitional leader who could help guide the country from tyranny to democracy. But Pahlavi is a divisive figure. While he does have the support of many Iranian monarchists who are nostalgic for the days of the Shah, it's unclear just how much support he really has inside the country. You'll hear many Iranians who want nothing more than an end to this regime saying a monarchy is not what they have been fighting for. They say Pahlavi hasn't set foot in Iran in decades. He's too disconnected from the people who have been on the front lines of the battle for freedom and democracy. His close ties to Israel, quite public during his visit in 2023 where he was warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials, has also been a source of controversy and concern for many Iranians. The big question right now is, do Iranians who are risking their lives by going out on the streets genuinely support the restoration of the monarchy or are they just fed up with their repressive regime? And with the regime crushing and imprisoning opposition figures inside the country, Pahlavi may be their only viable option right now.