Iranian opposition leader and son of the last Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Reza Pahlavi holds a press conference in Paris on June 23, 2025.
Iran’s exiled opposition leader, Reza Pahlavi, has issued a New Year’s message to his compatriots that “the current regime has reached the end of the road” in comments that come as protests in the country have escalated and turned fatal.
Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought clerical leaders to power, referred to demonstrations in recent days that followed the collapse of the currency, the rial.
Several people were killed according to Iranian media and rights groups, marking the first reported deaths in the unrest. Pahlavi posted on X that “the tide of history is turning” as it called on the international community to stand with the country.
Newsweek has contacted the Pahlavi and the Iranian Foreign Ministry for comment.
The son of Iran’s last monarch, Pahlavi is a key figure pushing for a secular, democratic country. Pahlavi’s New Year’s message comes on the heels of anti-government protests months after the ruling regime was shaken by a 12-day war with Israel and strikes on its nuclear facilities.
What To Know
Pahlavi’s posted on X a message suggesting there could be change in Iran noted how people risked their lives in protests against the government’s handling of the economy.
“The dawn of a new era in Iran is upon us,” he wrote, adding that “brave compatriots are on the streets in cities and towns across our country—fighting for their freedom.”
He said that the regime in Tehran was at its most fragile and as such, “unable to suppress the courage of a rising nation” as he said that the growing protests show “this year will be the definitive moment for change.”
He called on the international community to stand with the people of Iran to push for a new, democratic Iran which will usher in “an era of prosperity and security.”
“The tide of history is turning,” he wrote, “I invite you not only to witness the birth of a new Iran, but to stand by our side as we achieve it.”
As the world welcomes the New Year, the dawn of a new era in Iran is upon us. My brave compatriots are on the streets in cities and towns across our country—fighting for their freedom, risking their lives. The current regime has reached the end of the road. It stands at its most…
— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) December 31, 2025
(NEWSWEEK)
