The exiled son of Iran’s last shah who was ousted by the 1979 Islamic Revolution said on Saturday he was ready to lead a transition “as soon as the Islamic Republic falls.”

In a message on his social media channels, US-based Reza Pahlavi said he had already been working to select individuals both inside and outside Iran to serve on what he called a “Transitional System.”

Pahlavi leads one of several opposition movements based outside Iran but his prominence grew after January protests against the clerical system, with some demonstrators calling for a return of the monarchy.

Longstanding supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 in US-Israeli air strikes but after a fortnight of war the clerical system remains in place even if his successor, his son Mojtaba, has yet to make a public appearance.

Pahlavi said that Saeed Ghasseminejad, senior Iran and financial economics advisor at the US-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), which is staunchly critical of the Islamic republic, had been leading the process to select members of a transitional body.

“Capable individuals both inside and outside the country have been identified and evaluated to lead various sections of the Transitional System,” he said

“The Transitional System, under my leadership, will be ready to assume governance of the country as soon as the Islamic Republic falls, and in the shortest possible time, establish order, security, freedom, and the conditions for Iran’s prosperity and flourishing,” he added.

In a boost to Pahlavi, vast pro-monarchy rallies took place in February in Munich and several cities in North America, in the biggest yet such show of support.

But he has notably also failed to win recognition from US President Donald Trump, who has never officially met with Pahlavi and repeatedly expressed skepticism over his ability to lead Iran.

“They talk about the son of the shah, they talk about other people, but (he) hasn’t been there in many years,” Trump said this week.

Pahlavi was undergoing air force training in the US when his father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was ousted and never returned to the country.

Trump has repeatedly referred to Venezuela, where in January, US forces captured president Nicolas Maduro, with Washington now working with his former deputy Delcy Rodriguez.

But it remains unclear how such a scenario could play out in Iran.

“I like the idea of internal because it works well, I think we have proven that so far in Venezuela,” Trump said.

Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:

Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock under difficult conditions to cover this conflict;

Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and emails; and

Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.

We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.

Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.

So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel

1 InterviewWar aimed at preventing Iranian nukes may actually lead to them, ex-IDF expert warns

2 Michigan synagogue attacker’s brothers said to be Hezbollah members killed in IDF strike

3 Iranian cluster bombs cause damage but no injuries at multiple sites in central Israel

4 After urging Iranians to rise up once bombing stops, Trump admits overthrow a ‘very big hurdle’

5 Hegseth says Mojtaba Khamenei ‘wounded, likely disfigured,’ questions if he’s governing

6 Director of targeted Michigan synagogue: ‘Instincts took over,’ our training kicked in

7 FBI: Attacker shot himself after getting stuck in car he rammed into Michigan synagogue

8 AnalysisWith Iran war exit elusive, Trump aides vie to affect the outcome

2026 US-Israel war with Iran

© The Times of Israel