Not to be confused with his grandfather Reza Shah.
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Pahlavi is the founder and leader of the self-styled National Council of Iran, an exiled opposition group,[3] participates in the Iranian democracy movement, and is a prominent critic of Iran's Islamic Republic government.
When he was born, the Shah pardoned 98 political prisoners, and the government declared a 20% reduction in income tax.[4] He studied at the eponymous "Reza Pahlavi School", a private school located in the royal palace and restricted to the imperial family and court associates.[5] He was trained as a pilot; his first solo flight was at the age of 11, and he obtained his license a year later.[6] He was a supporter of Taj Abadan football club.[7]
Pahlavi began studies at Williams College in September 1979,[9] but dropped out in 1980.[10] He then enrolled at The American University in Cairo as a political science student, but his attendance was irregular.[11] In 1981, it was reported that he had dropped out of the program and continued his studies privately with Iranian professors, with a focus on Persian culture and history, Islamic philosophy, and oil in Iran.[12]
Reza Pahlavi's swearing in as the new king of Iran on 31 October 1980 at Koubbeh Palace, Cairo
Reza Pahlavi came to Cairo, Egypt, in March 1980 with his family.[1] When his father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was ill and in the last weeks of his life, media reported that some monarchist elements had advised the Shah to oust Reza in favor of his younger son Ali Reza (who was 13 at the time) and a regency council, suggesting that Reza's background, training and interest in public affairs were too limited to become his successor. The Shah was understood to have rejected the idea and abdicated himself in favor of one of his two sons.[13] When the Shah died on 27 July 1980, Farah Pahlavi proclaimed herself as the regent, a title in pretense.[1] On his 20th birthday on 31 October, Reza Pahlavi declared himself to be the new king of Iran, Reza Shah II, and the rightful successor to the throne of Pahlavi dynasty.[14] Immediately afterward a spokesman for the United States Department of State, John Trattner, disassociated the U.S. government from Reza Pahlavi by stating that his government did not intend to support him, assuring that they recognized the Iranian government.[15]
During 1981, Pahlavi remained in the Koubbeh Palace and developed close ties to pro-monarchy groups while facing rejection from other opposition groups, including left-wing dissidents.[12] In March, he issued a statement for the Persian New Year. He urged all opponents of the Iranian government to unite behind him and wage a "national resistance". Still, he chose to remain silent and made no reaction when PresidentAbolhassan Banisadr was deposed, and the assassination of tens of officials including Chief JusticeMohammad Beheshti took place in June.[12] In August, Pahlavi announced that he had been secretly planning to overthrow the Iranian government, stating, "So far I have been unwilling to unveil the existence of the concerted plans for I do not wish to jeopardize the lives of some of our best children... many of our actions have been unknown to you, but I want to assure you that the necessary steps are being taken in the best orderly way to save Iran".[16]
In 1982, Yaakov Nimrodi told BBC in a radio interview that along with Adolph Schwimmer and Adnan Khashoggi, he was involved with Pahlavi and Gen. Said Razvani to scheme a coup d'état and install him in Iran.[17] According to Samuel Segev, the plan had the approval of both the CIA and the Israeli cabinet, but it was abandoned when Menachem Begin resigned in 1983 and the new leadership "thought Israel should not be involved in a new adventure".[17]
On 1 May 1986, Pahlavi disclosed that he had recently formed a government-in-exile to establish a constitutional monarchy again in Iran.[18]
On his website, Pahlavi has said that the state of Iran should become democratic and secular, and human rights should be respected. Whether the form of government would be that of a constitutional monarchy or a republic, he would like to leave up to the people of Iran.[19][20]
Pahlavi has used his high profile as an Iranian abroad to campaign for human rights, democracy, and unity among Iranians in and outside Iran.[21] On his website, he calls for a separation of religion and state in Iran and free and fair elections "for all freedom-loving individuals and political ideologies". He exhorts all groups dedicated to a democratic agenda to work together for a democratic and secular Iranian government.[22]
In February 2011, after violence erupted in Tehran, Pahlavi said that Iran's youth were determined to get rid of an authoritarian government tainted by corruption and misrule in the hope of installing a democracy. "Fundamental and necessary change is long overdue for our region, and we have a whole generation of young Egyptians and Iranians not willing to take no for an answer", he told The Daily Telegraph. "Democratization is now imperative that cannot be denied. It is only a matter of time before the whole region can transform itself."[23]
In June 2018, he commented: "I believe Iran must be a secular, parliamentary democracy. The final form has to be decided by the people."[24] In a presentation at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in December 2018, Pahlavi called for the non-military support of those in Iran who were trying to replace the Islamist regime with a secular democracy. According to a news report, he was "not openly calling for the restoration of the Peacock Throne ... He casts himself more as a symbol than a politician, but has called himself 'ready to serve my country'".[25]
During anti-government demonstrations in Iran in 2022 following the Abadan building collapse, Pahlavi predicted that the Islamic regime would collapse in the near future as events such as the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, bans on importing foreign COVID-19 vaccines and tests into the country and rising food prices had led to unnecessary deaths and would provoke further anger at government mismanagement from the population. He also urged members of the Iranian armed forces who oppose the Islamic Republic but work for the government to engage in peaceful disruption and called for a coordinated front against the regime. While acknowledging support from Iranian demonstrators chanting for the return of the monarchy, he also stated, "The most important thing I do in response to the Iranian people's trust is to reinforce their voices. I don't tell them what to do. I'm not a political leader."[26]
In a February 2023 interview with The Daily Telegraph, Pahlavi called on the British and European governments to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arguing such a move would be "pulling out the biggest tooth the regime has." In the interview, he also argued his belief that the Islamic Republic was more likely to fall in the near future than it had been in previous decades as Iranian reformists had switched tactics to wanting to completely overthrow the regime as opposed to changing it. He acknowledged many Iranian dissidents wanted him to play a central role in creating a new government but reiterated that he would leave it to the people of Iran on whether to restore the throne and that he would not run for political office if the regime fell. Pahlavi also predicted that the greatest challenge for a new secular, liberal democratic Iran would be the question of controlling the military and seeking justice against officials in the regime. He concluded that higher-ranking members of the Islamic regime would face trials for human rights abuses but lower ranking members could be pardoned to allow reintegration into society, citing the Nuremberg trials in which top Nazi officials were prosecuted while lower ranking members were reintegrated back into Germany, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings in South Africa after the end of apartheid as examples to follow.[27]
In March 2023, Pahlavi embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom and gave a speech to the Oxford Union. During the speech, he argued that "secular[ism] is a prerequisite to democracy" and that Islamic regimes fail by not accepting freedom of religion. He called for the right to Internet access to be restored to Iran to help communication between dissident movements and for non-violent tactics to be used in bringing down the Iranian regime. During the speech, a large demonstration took place outside in support of Pahlavi calling for his restoration.[28][29]
Reza Pahlavi II is first in the line of succession to his late father. In contrast, his younger brother Ali-Reza Pahlavi II was second in line until his death by suicide in 2011.[34] Before Reza Pahlavi's birth, the presumptive heir was Patrick Ali Pahlavi, the crown prince's cousin.
In February 2019, Reza Pahlavi launched the Phoenix Project of Iran initiative. According to the National Interest, this is "designed to bring the various strains of the opposition closer to a common vision for a post-clerical Iran".[35]
Within Iran
A report published by the Brookings Institution in 2009 said that Pahlavi lacked an organized following within Iran since there was no serious monarchist movement in Iran itself. The report described Pahlavi as having "little in common with the intellectuals and students who make up the core of the reform movement".[36]
During 2017–18 Iranian protests, some videos on social media showed demonstrators chanting slogans in favor of Pahlavi's grandfather and calling for his return.[37][38] On many occasions the videos indicated the royalist slogans prompt others in the crowd to shout the slogans down.[39]
In January 2023, New York-based Iranian scholar and writer Arash Azizi noted that among younger Iranians on social media and at public demonstrations support for Pahlavi has become more visible and argued "To any fair observer of Iran, Pahlavi has a certain degree of support in Iranian society, although it is hard to discern just how wide this support is." He also noted that a number of Iranian dissident activists and celebrities including Dariush Eghbali (who had been imprisoned under the Shah's rule), actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, actor Hamid Farrokhnezhad and Olympian Kimia Alizadeh have come out in support of Pahlavi being a figurehead to unite anti-regime movements. Tehran based intellectual Khashayar Dayhimi opined "I believe that, if there was a referendum today and Reza Pahlavi was on the ballot, he'd easily win because people don't know anyone other than him."[40]
Among Iranian expatriates
Pahlavi enjoys wide popularity with the older generation of Iranian expatriates that left Iran during the 1979 revolution and with some people in Iran.[41][bettersourceneeded] In 2006, Connie Bruck of The New Yorker wrote that Los Angeles is home to about 600,000 Iranian expatriates, and said it was a monarchist stronghold.[42]
A 2013 survey of Iranian-Americans conducted by George Mason University's Center for Social Science Research found that 85% of respondents did not support any Iranian opposition groups or figures. Of the remaining 15% who expressed support, 20% backed him.[43]
In a recent attempt in 2023 to garner support for Reza Pahlavi as a representative for transition, a petition was created on the platform Change.org that has amassed over 460,000 signatures.[44]
Reza Pahlavi asked Iranians worldwide to protest against the Islamic Republic on its 44th anniversary, February 11, 2023. As a result, people rallied in multiple cities in the US, Europe, Australia, and Canada.[45][46][47] Reza Pahlavi himself participated in LA rally where a crowd of more than 80,000 showed up.[48]
July 2024 speech
In July 2024, Pahlavi was invited to speak at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, D.C. In his speech, Pahlavi blamed the Iranian regime for the spread of radical Islam to other nations in the Middle East and the West following the revolution and promised that Iranians will take Iran back in the near future. He also argued that Masoud Pezeshkian was not a "moderate" politician due to his friendship with Hezbollah. He warned United States not to launch a military campaign against the regime, arguing "the problem that began in Iran must be ended in Iran" and concluded "the soon to be free Iran, doesn’t seek your patronage. It seeks your partnership. It doesn’t seek your funding. It seeks your friendship.”[49]
In an essay for The Daily Telegraph, he called IRGC to be designated terror group by British government for its funding of Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthis and suppression of Zan Zendegi Azadi.[50]
Second Trump admin
In November 2024 Pahlavi called Iranians to not to wait no longer, to take Iran back. He posted that he is ready to lead any interim rule. He said in a Newsmax interview that internal force will topple the regime.[51][52][53]
Foreign support
Bob Woodward wrote in 1986 that the Reagan administration authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to support and fund Iranian exiles, including Pahlavi. The agency transmitted his 11-minute speech during which he vowed "I will return" to Iranian television by pirating its frequency.[54] The Tower Commission report, published in 1987, also acknowledged that the CIA was behind this event[55] while a group in Paris calling itself 'Flag of Freedom' had taken responsibility for the act in September 1986.[56]
James Mann wrote in February 1989 that when he asked the CIA about whether they helped Pahlavi, they refused to comment, and a spokesperson of the agency told him, "We would not confirm nor deny an intelligence matter".[57]
In 2009, Pahlavi denied receiving U.S. government or foreign aid in an interview with The New York Times. Pahlavi said "No, no. I don't rely on any sources other than my own compatriots" and denied allegations of working with the CIA, calling the allegations "absolutely and unequivocally false".[59] However, in 2017 he told Jon Gambrell of the Associated Press: "My focus right now is on liberating Iran, and I will find any means that I can, without compromising the national interests and independence, with anyone who is willing to give us a hand, whether it is the U.S. or the Saudis or the Israelis or whomever it is."[60]
According to a People article published in 1978, Pahlavi dated a "blond, blue-eyed Swedish model he met in Rome".[61] The same publication also reported that he lived with his girlfriend in Lubbock, Texas.[61] As of 1980, he had an Egyptian girlfriend who was a student of The American University in Cairo, reportedly "closely guarded" by bodyguards.[11]
Pahlavi began a relationship with Yasmine Etemad-Amini in 1985, and a year later married her, then aged 17, at 25.[9] The couple have three daughters: Noor (born 3 April 1992), Iman (born 12 September 1993), and Farah (born 17 January 2004).
Pahlavi was a keen football player and spectator. He was a fan of the capital's football club Esteghlal, then known as Taj (lit.'Crown'), and his support was even televised by the National Iranian Radio and Television. The club performed in annual rallies organized on his birthday, identifying the club with the Pahlavi regime.[63]
In 1981, UPI reported that Pahlavi attended the elite Gueziro Club in Cairo to watch tennis and was occasionally seen in discotheques at hotels in the vicinity of the Nile.[12]
Religious beliefs
When interviewed about religion, Pahlavi said, "That's a private matter, but if you must know, I am, of course, by education and conviction, a Shia Muslim. I am very much a man of faith."[59] Iranian writer Reza Bayegan also notes that Crown Prince Reza is alleged "deeply attached" to his Muslim faith. He has performed the Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca.[64]
Financial and legal issues
Occupation
In 1989, The Washington Post reported that Pahlavi was unemployed.[9] Asked about his sources of income, he replied that he had been financially supported by "friends and family" in the past seven years.[9] In 2017, he told the Associated Press that since 1979 he had had no "side occupation" (about political activities), adding that his money came from his family and "many Iranians who have supported the cause".[60] According to a December 2018 news report by Politico, "he is thought to live mainly on what's left of his family wealth, his only full-time job being speaking out about Iran".[65]
Shahbazi v. Pahlavi
In 1990, Ali Haydar Shahbazi, a former Imperial Guard member who worked for Pahlavi as a longtime bodyguard, filed a lawsuit in the district court of Alexandria, Virginia, accusing Pahlavi of breaching Iranian tradition by breaking his pledge to take care of him financially.[66] Shahbazi, then aged 58, said in the court he abandoned more than $400,000 in property in Iran because Pahlavi assured him "I'm going to pay your expenses and everything. I'm going to take care of you better than my father [did]" when he was hired, and then fired him with a handshake and $9,000 in 1989.[66] Shahbazi asked compensation for the $30,000 in taxes and penalties as well as an undetermined amount of money for his retirement.[66] Pahlavi's attorney dismissed the claim, saying that Shahbazi has received gifts worth several thousand dollars and was allowed to live luxuriously in Pahlavi's house in Great Falls, Virginia, adding that the servant was fired because his client ran out of money.[67] Pahlavi agreed that Shahbazi was a loyal friend but he offered support as long as he could.[66] He also told the judge, "I was not involved in the day-to-day handling of my financial affairs".[66]
In 1991, District Judge Albert Vickers Bryan Jr. argued that Pahlavi "had little knowledge of how his estate's money was spent and could not be held personally accountable for employment agreements with servants", declaring the case dismissed.[67] According to media reports, Pahlavi began to cry in the court when the judge threw out the case.[68][67]
Ansari v. Pahlavi
In 1990, Pahlavi and Ahmad Ali Massoud Ansari, his close aide and financial adviser, filed lawsuits against each other.[69] Pahlavi accused Ansari of embezzlement amounting $24 million, while Ansari claimed $1.7 million lien against Pahlavi.[69] During the trial, Pahlavi's attorney told the court "[d]ue to the demands of his political responsibilities and his lack of experience in financial matters, Pahlavi had to trust completely in Ansari for the management of his funds... over the years, no one supplanted Ansari in any way in Pahlavi's trust. Conversely, no one betrayed Pahlavi's trust any more than Ansari", going further to accuse Ansari as "an agent" for the Islamic Republic of Iran.[69] Ansari denied the accusations and blamed Pahlavi for squandering the money with his extravagance, stating he faithfully carried out orders that Pahlavi was aware of.[69]
The court asked Ansari to provide a complete accounting of his money handling, but he alleged that the documents had been destroyed to prevent a potential seizure. In 1996, the court ruled that Ansari should repay $7.3 million to Pahlavi and fined him an additional $2 million.[69]
Television network
In November 2014, Pahlavi founded his own television and radio network called Ofogh Iran;[70] in July 2017 it was reported that the Ofogh Iran International Media telethon no longer belonged to Pahlavi.[71]
Bibliography
Gozashteh va Ayandeh, London: Kayham Publishing, 2000. (in Persian)
Reza Shah Pahlavi was an Iranian military officer and the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty. As a politician, he previously served as minister of war and prime minister of Qajar Iran and subsequently reigned as Shah of Pahlavi Iran from 1925 until he was forced to abdicate after the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in 1941. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Mohammad Reza Shah. A modernizer, Reza Shah clashed with the Shia clergy and introduced many social, economic, and political reforms during his reign, ultimately laying the foundation of the modern Iranian state. As a result, he is regarded by many as the founder of modern Iran.
The Pahlavi dynasty was the last Iranian royal dynasty that ruled for roughly 53 years between 1925 and 1979. The dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier in modern times, who took on the name of the Pahlavi language spoken in the pre-Islamic Sasanian Empire to strengthen his nationalist credentials.
The Iranian revolution, also known as the 1979 revolution, or the Islamic revolution of 1979 was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Imperial State of Iran by the present-day Islamic Republic of Iran, as the monarchical government of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was superseded by the theocratic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a religious cleric who had headed one of the rebel factions. The ousting of Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, formally marked the end of Iran's historical monarchy.
The Sa'dabad Complex is a 80 hectare complex built by the Qajar and Pahlavi monarchs, located in Shemiran, Greater Tehran, Iran. Today, the official residence of the President of Iran is located adjacent to the complex.
Ali Reza Pahlavi was a member of the Pahlavi imperial family of the Imperial State of Iran. He was the younger son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the former Shah of Iran and his third wife Farah Diba. He was second in order of succession to the Iranian throne before the Iranian Revolution.
Shahnaz Pahlavi is the first child of the former Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his first wife, Princess Fawzia of Egypt.
Ashraf ol-Molouk Pahlavi was the twin sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the late Shah of Iran (Persia), and a member of the Pahlavi dynasty. She was considered the "power behind her brother" and was instrumental in the 1953 coup that overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in favour of strengthening the monarchical rule of the Shah. She served her brother as a palace adviser and was a strong advocate for women's rights. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, she lived in exile in France, New York, Paris and Monte Carlo and remained outspoken against the Iranian Islamic Republic.
Asadollah Alam was an Iranian politician who was prime minister during the Shah's regime from 1962 to 1964. He was also minister of Royal Court, president of Pahlavi University and governor of Sistan and Baluchestan Province.
Secularism in Iran was established as state policy shortly after Rezā Shāh was crowned Shah in 1925. He made any public display or expression of religious faith, including the wearing of the headscarf (hijab) and chador by women and wearing of facial hair by men illegal. Public religious festivals and celebrations were banned, Shia clergy were forbidden to preach in extremist ideas.
This article is a timeline of events relevant to the Islamic Revolution in Iran. For earlier events refer to Pahlavi dynasty and for later ones refer to History of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This article doesn't include the reasons of the events and further information is available in Islamic revolution of Iran.
Arteshbod Hossein Fardoust was an Iranian military officer who was the deputy head of SAVAK, the powerful Iranian intelligence agency during the Pahlavi era. He was also a childhood friend of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, commonly referred to in the Western world as Mohammad Reza Shah, or simply the Shah, was the last monarch of Iran (Persia). He began ruling the Imperial State of Iran after succeeding his father, Reza Shah, in 1941 and remained in power until he was overthrown by the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which abolished the country's monarchy and established the Islamic Republic of Iran. In 1967, he took up the title Shahanshah, and also held several others, including Aryamehr and Bozorg Arteshtaran. He was the second and last ruling monarch of the Pahlavi dynasty to rule Iran. His dream of what he referred to as a "Great Civilization" in Iran led to his leadership over rapid industrial and military modernization, as well as economic and social reforms.
Iranian monarchism is the advocacy of restoring the monarchy in Iran, which was abolished after the 1979 Revolution.
Patrick Ali Pahlavi is a member of the deposed Pahlavi dynasty of Iran and was heir presumptive from 1954 to 1960. According to the former constitution of Iran Patrick was the first in the line of succession to the throne. In 1960, however, with the birth of Reza Pahlavi, the latter became the heir apparent. If the Iranian monarchy were to be restored, he would become the heir presumptive to the throne.
Corruption is a serious problem in Iran, being widespread, mostly in the government. Reformists and conservatives alike – routinely criticize corruption in the government.]
Farah Pahlavi is the former Queen and last Empress of Iran and is the widow of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Gholam Reza Pahlavi was an Iranian prince and a member of the Pahlavi dynasty, as the son of Reza Shah and half-brother of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.
Khosrow Jahanbani was the son of Iranian general Amanullah Jahanbani and second husband of Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi.
The Imperial State of Iran, officially known in English as the Imperial State of Persia until 1935, and commonly referred to as Pahlavi Iran, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty. The Pahlavi dynasty was created in 1925 and lasted until 1979, when it was ousted as part of the Islamic Revolution, which ended Iran's continuous monarchy and established the current Islamic Republic of Iran.
The newly founded Iran-Novin Party - INP - meaning "Party of New Iran" -, emerged in January 2023 through the efforts of Iranian members of the Farashgard-Foundation and other exiled political activists who sought the establishment of a new political party.
References
1 2 3 4 "Former Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi will proclaim himself the new shah of Iran", United Press International, 17 October 1980, retrieved 25 January 2019, His Imperial Highness Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran, will reach his constitutional majority on the 9th of Aban, 1359 (October 31, 1980). On this date, and in conformity with the Iranian Constitution, the regency of Her Imperial Majesty Farah Pahlavi, Shahbanou of Iran, will end. His Imperial Highness, who will send a message to the people of Iran on this occasion, will succeed his father, His Imperial Majesty Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, deceased in Cairo on Mordad 5, 1359 (July 27, 1980).
1 2 3 4 "Former Student Prince Aims at Iranian Throne", The United Press International, Pittsfield, Massachusetts: The Berkshire Eagle, p.23, 6 August 1981
↑ Koven, Ronald (28 July 1980), "Royal Heir: Family Hails Elder Son as New Shah", The Washington Post Service, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, p.7
↑ "Shah's Son Names Himself King, Bids Iran to End Its 'Nightmare'", The Miami Herald, Miami, Florida, Herald Wire Service, p.14, 1 November 1980
↑ Schweid, Barry (1 November 1980), "U.S. Vows Recognition, No Sanctions for Iran", The Miami Herald, Miami, Florida, The Associated Press, p.14
↑ "Reza II vows to oust Khomeini", The Associated Press, Indianapolis, Indiana: The Indianapolis News, p.1, 5 August 1981
↑ Kenneth M. Pollack; Daniel L. Byman; Martin S. Indyk; Suzanne Maloney (June 2009). "Toppling Tehran". Which Path to Persia?: Options for a New American Strategy toward Iran. Brookings Institution. p.108. ISBN978-0-8157-0379-2.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
↑ Mann, James (9 February 1989), "Don't Trust Khomeini, Shah's Son Warns U.S.", Los Angeles Times, p.12
↑ Friedman, Andrew (2013). "Iran-Contra As Built Space". Covert Capital: Landscapes of Denial and the Making of U.S. Empire in the Suburbs of Northern Virginia. American Crossroads. Vol.7. the University of California Press. p.274. ISBN978-0-520-27464-8. Not only was it not surprising that Reza Pahlavi ended up in the Northern Virginia suburbs, it would be hard to imagine him going anywhere else. Ex-CIA agents in McLean began offering Shah Reza Pahlavi estates and farms as retreats in Northern Virginia as early as 1979, swearing they could spirit him past immigration officials at Dulles Airport. A major reason the younger Pahlavi moved to Great Falls was political. Building his house some ten minutes away from Langley, he was, according to his advisor and other observers, receiving a monthly CIA stipend. After a meeting with Bill Casey in Rabat, they began what Pahlavi called "intelligence cooperation... for mutual benefits." Although he denied he took agency money, his financial advisor once claimed that Pahlavi's stipend sometimes rose to $150,000 a month. A large picture of him hung on the wall in Langley's Iran division, accompanied by the moniker "The Hope of Democracy of Iran". This "Iran" in Iran-Contra sometimes created complexities for the arms-selling project. In September 1986, a CIA technical strike blocked TV signals on national Iranian TV from broadcasting an eleven-minute speech by Reza Cyrus, then resident in Northern Virginia, into Iran.
1 2 Soloman, Deborah (26 June 2009). "The Exile". The New York Times Magazine.
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