White House envoy Steve Witkoff privately met with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah over the weekend, to discuss the protests that have been sweeping the country for more than two weeks, according to a senior U.S. official cited by news agency Axios.
The meeting marks the first known high-level contact between President Donald Trump's administration and an Iranian opposition figure since the demonstrations began 15 days ago. Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, has sought to position himself as a potential transitional leader should Iran’s government collapse.
Over the past two weeks, Pahlavi has appeared on U.S. television networks calling on Washington to intervene in support of protesters.
Behind the scenes, the White House national security team met on Tuesday to discuss options for responding to the unrest. President Donald Trump did not attend. A senior U.S. official said discussions remain at an early stage, with no decision yet on military action according to Axios.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told colleagues that the administration is currently considering non-military measures to support protesters, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
Protests continued across Iran on Tuesday, with widely varying estimates of the death toll. A U.S. official said Israel had shared an assessment suggesting at least 5,000 protesters had been killed.
Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to “keep protesting” and “take over” government institutions, adding that “help is on its way.” Asked to clarify the comment, Trump declined to elaborate and reiterated that Americans should leave Iran.
While the administration initially did not view Pahlavi as a major political figure, officials say they were surprised by reports that demonstrators in multiple cities have chanted his name. Analysts say Pahlavi has emerged as a symbolic figure for some protesters, though the extent of his support inside Iran remains unclear.
Polling conducted in recent years suggests Iranian public opinion is divided, with roughly one-third supporting Pahlavi and another one-third strongly opposing him - a higher level of recognition than any other opposition figure.
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