U.S. President Donald Trump has questioned whether Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, would be able to command enough support inside Iran to lead the country if its clerical leadership were to fall.
Speaking in an interview with Reuters, Trump said Pahlavi appeared “very nice” but suggested it was unclear how much backing he would have among Iranians themselves.
Trump suggested that political change in Iran would ultimately have to come from within.
“It’s not for us to decide,” he said, indicating reluctance to be seen as shaping Iran’s leadership from abroad - a sensitive issue given the country’s history of foreign intervention.
“I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me,” Trump told Reuters.
The comments come amid continuing unrest in Iran and renewed debate over who could emerge as a viable alternative to the current regime.
Reza Pahlavi, 65, has lived in exile in the U.S. since the 1979 revolution that overthrew his father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and brought the current supreme leader to power.
In recent years, and particularly since widespread protests erupted across Iran, he has sought to position himself as a unifying figure for opposition groups calling for democratic change.
In an interview with CBS News earlier this week, Reza Pahlavi told the U.S. broadcaster that he was “ready to die for liberty,” in Iran.
While Washington has repeatedly condemned Tehran’s crackdown on protesters and imposed sanctions on Iranian officials, the U.S. administration has stopped short of openly backing any single opposition leader.
Iran has experienced waves of anti-government protests over recent years, driven by economic hardship, political repression and demands for greater personal freedoms. Security forces have responded forcefully, with thousands reportedly arrested and killed, according to human rights groups.
The Iranian government has dismissed opposition figures abroad and accuses Western governments of fuelling unrest.
The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Iran on Thursday (15 January) at the request of the United States.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had paused a planned attack on Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington. He said there was now a “very good chance” of reaching a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.
European Union negotiators are expected to agree on Tuesday (19 May) on legislation removing import duties on U.S. industrial goods, in a move aimed at implementing last year’s trade agreement with the United States and avoiding higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (May 18) he was "concerned" about Ebola but noted that the virus remains confined to Africa for now.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 19th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the situation poses a significant risk of cross-border spread in Central Africa.
In a sweeping diplomatic push in Baku, Georgia and Azerbaijan have signed a landmark package of energy and transport agreements, cementing a partnership set to shape the South Caucasus corridor for decades to come.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and infrastructure links are exposing the region to increasingly sophisticated cross-border threats.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Israeli forces intercepted dozens of Gaza-bound aid vessels in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday (18 May), prompting condemnation from the United Nations and Türkiye, while flotilla organisers said several ships continued sailing toward Gaza despite the operation.
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to security officials and government sources familiar with the arrangement.
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