Iran-Israel war: After the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.–Israeli airstrike, questions are rising about who will take over the country’s top leadership. Analysts are now speculating on potential successors. Among the prominent figures are Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader, and Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former Crown Prince of Iran. Both names are drawing attention as discussions continue about the future direction of Iran’s political and religious leadership.
Who is Reza Pahlavi?
Reza Pahlavi is an Iranian political activist and the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the former monarch who ruled Iran until the 1979 revolution. Born in 1960 in Tehran, he was the Crown Prince of Iran before the Islamic Republic was established. After the revolution, Pahlavi and his family left Iran and have lived mainly in exile, particularly in the United States. He is a prominent figure among Iranians who oppose the current theocratic system and has been one of the most visible critics of the Islamic Republic for decades.
For years, Pahlavi has been calling for a peaceful transition to democracy in Iran, urging security forces to side with the people and advocating reforms that would guarantee individual freedoms and equality for all citizens.
Could he be next supreme leader?
The question of whether Reza Pahlavi could become Iran’s next supreme leader is complex. However, there are speculations about him being a potential successor for Iran. Iran’s Supreme Leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts, a body of senior clerics who appoint someone to lead the country’s religious and political system. This process follows the laws of the Islamic Republic, and historically, the Supreme Leader has always been a senior Shiite cleric. There is no constitutional role for a monarch or exiled prince in this process.
Since the reported death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Pahlavi has issued statements saying Iran’s Islamic Republic is effectively over and that any attempt by regime insiders to appoint a successor is “doomed to fail.” He has urged Iranians to unite and called for a stable transition to a free and prosperous future. He argues that no successor chosen by the current regime would have legitimacy or survive without broad popular support.
What’s role of Pahlavi after Khamenei’s death?
Support for Pahlavi comes mainly from Iranian opposition groups both inside the country and among the diaspora. He has been active in calling for democratic change and has a vision of Iran where people choose their leaders through elections, not religious rule or monarchy. Many in the diaspora and some protesters in Iran have expressed support for his role as a symbol of change.
However, his actual path to power is uncertain. Within Iran, power is deeply controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the clerical establishment, and they may seek to appoint another cleric as Supreme Leader. Pahlavi’s monarchical background also makes him a contentious figure for some Iranians who want a democratic republic without a figure associated with the past monarchy.
Reza Pahlavi is a well‑known exiled opposition leader with a long history of calling for democratic change in Iran. While he has no legal path to become the next Supreme Leader under Iran’s current constitution, he remains an influential figure among many Iranians pushing for change. Whether he plays a central role in Iran’s future leadership largely depends on how events unfold inside the country following Khamenei’s death and how Iranians themselves choose their leaders going forward.
