The opportune return of Reza Pahlavi, Iran's crown prince, following US airstrikes
Reza Pahlavi, 64, always reemerges on screens whenever the mullahs' regime in Iran appears close to collapse. The crown prince of Tehran's last royal dynasty – the Pahlavis, ousted by the 1979 revolution – has ridden the shockwave of the June 21 US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Although caught off guard by the ceasefire declared by Donald Trump on June 24, the prince, who is based in the United States, has not given up preparing for what comes next.
On June 30, Pahlavi was in London to meet with British lawmakers. On social media, he promoted an online mailbox for members of the Islamic Republic's security services who might consider switching sides. In Washington, his lobbyists have been championing a bill in Congress known as the Maximum Support Act for the Iranian people. This activism aims to support the next wave of protests.
A polite democrat
Wearing a black suit closely fitted across his chest and a tie in the signature blue of the former regime – shimmering and textured in the American style – Pahlavi offered his services on the eve of the ceasefire between Iran and Israel on June 23 in Paris. Before dozens of international media outlets, including Le Monde, gathered at a Maison de la Chimie, an international conference center, event, he declared himself "ready to lead the political transition" in his country.
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