Donald Trump and Reza Pahlavi (AP images)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday described Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi as a “very nice” person but expressed doubts over whether the exiled former crown prince could rally enough support inside Tehran to take over. His remarks came as protests against the clerical regime continued to grip the country.Speaking in an exclusive interview with Reuters at the Oval Office, Trump said there was a possibility that Iran’s clerical government could collapse under the pressure of unrest, but he did not openly support Pahlavi as an alternative leader.Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States could intervene in support of Iranian protesters, yet signalled caution about endorsing any single opposition figure.“He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country. And we really aren’t up to that point yet,” Trump said.Reza Pahlavi is the son of Iran’s last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The 65-year-old has lived in exile for decades and has emerged as a prominent voice amid the current wave of demonstrations against Iran’s ruling establishment.Trump added that while he would not oppose Pahlavi if Iranians accepted his leadership, it was unclear whether that support existed. “I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me,” he said.The US president’s remarks came as Iran faces widespread protests that began over economic hardship and have since grown into broader calls for political change and an end to the theocratic system. Demonstrations have spread across multiple cities despite heavy security measures, internet restrictions and mass arrests. Thousands of people have reportedly been killed in a crackdown on the unrest.Trump said it was possible that the government in Tehran could fall, though he cautioned that political outcomes are unpredictable. “Whether or not it falls or not, it’s going to be an interesting period of time,” he said, adding that “any regime can fail.”Pahlavi has used the moment to urge sustained protests, arguing that continued pressure could lead to the collapse of the current leadership. In a recent video message and social media post, Pahlavi said that he is preparing to return home after remaining in exile for almost five decades“I, too, am preparing to return to the homeland so that at the time of our national revolution’s victory, I can be beside you, the great nation of Iran. I believe that day is very near,” he wrote.He has also claimed that the opposition has a plan for a post-regime transition, including what he describes as a “100-day plan” to establish a democratic government and prevent chaos. “Do not abandon the streets. My heart is with you… We will take back Iran,” he said in a message, as reported by ANI.Born in Tehran in 1960, Reza Pahlavi was named crown prince in 1967. He left Iran in 1978, shortly before the revolution, to undergo jet fighter training in the United States and later studied political science at the University of Southern California. After his father’s death in 1980, he declared himself shah in exile, later telling The Washington Post in 1989, “In a way, I’m king-elect.”Despite his lineage, Pahlavi has said he does not seek a restoration of the monarchy. He has positioned himself as an advocate for a secular, democratic system achieved through non-violent civil disobedience and a national referendum, describing his role as that of a “catalyst” for change.