Iran Unrest Explained: Can deposed Shah’s son capitalise on mass protests? Can US help him return to power?

Can the son of the deposed Iranian king, Reza Shah Pahlavi, back to power in Iran? Is the US intelligence agency, the CIA behind the unrest and the nationwide protests in which more than 500 people have killed? Immediately after the military action in Venezuela, in which its president Nicolas Maduro was captured and about 100 people were reportedly killed, President Donald Trump indicated intervention in the Islamic Republic. The nationwide protests erupted in Iran around the same time, and the Shiite cleric-led regime responded with ruthless crackdown, opening fore on the unarmed people, including women. 

Iran Protests

After supporting the protesters sitting in the cozy drawing room in his faraway US home, Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's deposed Shah, complicated the issue further by urging them not to leave the streets. His appeal came after more than 500 protesters were killed amid the US  threat of military action. Pointing out that their heir presence on the streets for three consecutive nights has "severely weakened Khamenei's repressive apparatus and his regime", he claimed that the leader is left with a handful of non-Iranian mercenaries. Taking to the social media platform, he wrote on X, "Reliable reports have reached me indicating that the Islamic Republic is facing a severe shortage of mercenaries to confront the millions of people in the streets, and so far, many armed and security forces have left their workplaces or disobeyed orders to suppress the people."

(Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was deposed in the Islamic Revolution of 1979.)

Iranian uprising CIA involvement

His intentions can be understood by the fact that some protesters have voiced support for him in verified videos circulating on social media, while others chanted "Long live the shah", suggesting his messages may be galvanising some people. In a blatantly provocative incident, a protester in a foreign country barged into the Iranian embassy, removed the flag and hung the old flag of the Shah regime, which was overthrown in 1979 in a popular Islamic revolution. While protesting against the present regime mainly due to the economic hardships, the protestors have demanded a sweeping political change, and in some places raised slogans such as "Down with the dictator". It was a clear reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all state matters under Iran's system of clerical rule. 

Earlier, on many occasions, Pahlavi has frequently called for change in the political system, particularly during the mass demonstrations in 2009 over a contested election. He also came out in the open when a series of nationwide protests erupted in 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini. The young woman died while in detention for allegedly violating Islamic dress codes.

Donald Trump and Iran protests

In the latest development, Reza Pahlavi, has sought to speak as a national leader though he has been living outside the country for decades. Indicating his political ambition, he has said that he would let the people decide on who should rule them. Earlier on June 23, shortly before the end of last year's 12-day war, when Washington bombed Iran, he wrote in a post on X, "There is only one way to achieve peace: a secular, democratic Iran. I am here today to submit myself to my compatriots to lead them down this road to peace and a democratic transition." Many feathers were ruffled when he supported the Israeli and US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, and said more action was needed. 

However, Reza Pahlavi get little support openly as neither Washington, a close ally of Iran in the shah's time, nor in European capitals, which have long been critical of the Islamic Republic, have come out in his support. Though the US president Donald Trump has said he would support Iranians if security forces fire on them, he said Friday he was "not sure that it would be appropriate" to meet Pahlavi.