Pahlavi, 65, is the exiled son of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran, who was ousted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ushered in the Islamic Republic. His name has been a rallying call for protests that started on December 28 and have been met by a violent crackdown that rights groups say has killed thousands.

Reza Pahlavi, living in exile in the United States, has long marketed himself as a future leader of Iran. His father’s repressive legacy casts a long shadow.

Speaking with Reuters in the Oval Office, President Trump talked about the situation in Iran, the Russia- Ukraine stalemate and dismissed Republican criticism of a probe of Fed Chair Powell.

Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has outlined his vision for a democratic Iran on social media. His plan includes ending a pursuit of nuclear weapons, confronting drug trafficking, and recognizing Israel.

In our interview Mr Pahlavi emphasises that Iran’s fate is in the hands of Iranians: “Iran’s destiny is not sealed by what any other country does... Our fighting will not stop.” From afar, he sounds confident that this is a revolution. But what his role will be remains unclear. ■

Reza Pahlavi, once the crown prince of Iran, says protesters there have been emboldened by President Trump suggesting that he could take military action.

BBC News Persian profiles the former crown prince who is once again seeking a role in shaping his country's future.

In 1979, an uprising in Iran toppled the monarchy, ending the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Iran’s last shah was the United States’ closest ally in the Middle East.

Iran’s crown jewels are not just symbols of past monarchy but active financial assets. Stored beneath Tehran’s Central Bank, they officially back the Iranian rial. Collected over centuries by rulers like Nadir Shah and Reza Shah Pahlavi,

The Islamic Republic no longer commands moral authority, historical superiority, or generational loyalty to the Iranian people, and its founding narrative is collapsing.