Protesters in Iran call for exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, to replace regime

The Islamic Republic was founded on the overthrow of the monarchy in 1979, and public references to the Pahlavi dynasty have long been taboo.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Crowds chanting “Javid Shah” echoed through Iran’s streets this week as protests over economic collapse expanded into open challenges to the Islamic Republic and its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to videos circulating from inside the country.

The demonstrations began after Tehran’s powerful bazaar merchant class shuttered shops last Sunday to protest a financial crisis that has pushed the rial into free fall.

The open-market rate briefly hit 1.4 million rials to the dollar, far from the official rate of 42,000, triggering unrest that spread rapidly from the capital to cities including Isfahan, Mashhad, Ahvaz, and Hamadan.

As protests grew, slogans shifted from economic grievances to direct rejection of the regime.

Demonstrators were heard chanting, “This is the final battle! Pahlavi will return,” and “The shah will return to the homeland, and Zahhak (despot) will be overthrown.”

Other chants targeted Iran’s regional priorities, including, “No to Gaza, no to Lebanon, I give my life for Iran,” reflecting anger at billions spent on proxy groups while living standards deteriorate.

Iranian security forces initially relied on tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets.

The reappearance of pro-Pahlavi slogans marks a significant political rupture. The Islamic Republic was founded on the overthrow of the monarchy in 1979, and public references to the Pahlavi dynasty have long been taboo. Their return suggests a rejection not only of policies but of the regime’s core narrative.

The protests have gained momentum as students have joined striking merchants. Videos from Tehran showed university students chanting against Khamenei and in support of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, a reversal from the student movements that helped topple the monarchy decades ago.

Against this backdrop, Pahlavi has stepped more visibly into the political arena. As protests intensified, he issued a message calling for unity and urging citizens to demand the system’s collapse, stating, “Today is a time for greater solidarity. I call on all segments of society to join your fellow citizens in the streets and raise your voices demanding the downfall of this system.”

At opposition gatherings in Europe earlier this year, Pahlavi emphasized that a national referendum must determine any future political structure and said he does not seek power absent a democratic mandate.

“It is crystal clear that the population accepts the leadership of Prince Reza Pahlavi,” an Iranian opposition figure in exile told The Jerusalem Post. “Now it is up to the prince to expand his circle and show that his professional cadres can take over the government. In that case, the military could join the people. This is a scenario if the protests continue.”

Whether the demonstrations endure remains uncertain, but the chants heard this week reflect a shift that the authorities may find difficult to reverse.