January 27, 2026 | The National Interest
Why Iranians Support Reza Pahlavi
This month’s mass protests in Iran demonstrated the growing homegrown appeal for the return of the country’s long-exiled crown prince.
January 27, 2026 | The National Interest
Why Iranians Support Reza Pahlavi
This month’s mass protests in Iran demonstrated the growing homegrown appeal for the return of the country’s long-exiled crown prince.
Excerpt
“Javid shah” (Long live the king), “Reza, Reza Pahlavi, this is the national slogan,” and “This is the last battle, Pahlavi will return.” These are just a few of the chants heard on the streets of Iranian cities during this month’s massive protests, 47 years after Iran’s tragic 1979 revolution forced the Pahlavi monarchy into exile.
A Western observer looking at Iran’s recent round of labor strikes and protests might be surprised by the growing frequency with which demonstrators chant the name of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. For an audience with liberal or historical skepticism toward hereditary rule, the situation in Iran could be perplexing: Why are Iranians calling for a prince instead of republican alternatives?
Some might assume chants for Reza Pahlavi represent reactionary nostalgia or a regression to further authoritarian tendencies at a time of pressing socio-economic upheaval and ongoing protests against the Islamic Republic. Yet these chants are emerging from a broad sector of Iran’s society, including laborers, oil workers, teachers, truckers, and students who have already experienced an authoritarian regime and paid its full price.
These groups are not demanding another authoritarian, but a transition rooted in competence and order. Their chanting of Pahlavi reflects their exhaustion with authoritarian incompetence. Even Iran’s traditionally conservative and pro-clerical Bazaar chants for Pahlavi’s return, signaling a broad consensus for the role of the crown prince.
Saeed Ghasseminejad is a senior Iran and financial economics advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), specializing in Iran’s economy and financial markets, sanctions, and illicit finance. Mahdi Amiri holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of North Texas, an MA in Political Science from the University of Texas at Arlington, and an MA in comparative Western and Islamic political thought from Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran. He serves as a political and research consultant for Manoto TV.