Reza Pahlavi on the future of Iran

Name: Reza Pahlavi on the future of Iran
Uploaded: 2026-03-02T01:28:51.000Z
Duration: 13 min 14 s
Channel: 60 Minutes

60 MinutesMarch 2, 202613m

Topics14

US and Israel Strikes on Iran, Supreme Leader Killed0:01 Reza Pahlavi: Prominent Iranian Opposition Figure0:31 Reaction to Supreme Leader's Death1:02 January Protests and Recent Celebrations2:30 Vision for Transitional Leadership4:00 Peace with Israel and Historical Context4:30 Four Core Principles for New Iran5:01 Nuclear Weapons Program5:30 Father's Reign and 1979 Revolution6:02 Defending Father's Legacy and Public Support6:31 Message to President Trump9:00 Recent Unrest and Uprisings10:01 Heroism of Protesters11:03 Military and Police, Message to Iranians12:01

In a Nutshell

Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran's last Shah, hails the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in US-Israel strikes as a regime-collapsing moment, crediting mass protests and Trump's intervention, with Iranians celebrating in streets like Isfahan despite risks. He positions himself as a trusted transitional leader—not king or candidate—to guide Iran to democracy via four principles: territorial integrity, religion-state separation, citizen equality and liberties, and free elections; vows dismantling the nuclear weapons program and forging peace with Israel. Defending his father's legacy against 1979 revolution backlash, Pahlavi urges military/police to defect for national reconciliation and rallies Iranians to believe in toppling the "monstrous" regime after decades of atrocities.

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The United States and Israel conducted a second day of strikes on targets across Iran. Iran's supreme leader has been killed. Iran has retaliated with missile attacks on Israel, neighboring countries, and US military bases in the region. At least three American service members have been killed. Scott P is in Paris following events, including what could be next for Iran.

Tonight, the most prominent member of the Iranian opposition says he believes the Iranian regime is collapsing and he would like to lead a transition that makes Iran safe for the world. 65-year-old Reza Pahlavi is the son of the former king or Shah of Iran who was deposed in 1979 by revolutionaries and hardline Islamic clerics. In that year of revolution, Pahlavi was 18 years old and living in Lubbock, Texas, where the US Air Force was training him to be a fighter pilot. He was never able to go home. He has lived in exile 47 years, mostly in the United States. But tonight, he's in Paris where he was asked if he wants to be king, what Iran's policy should be toward Israel and nuclear weapons.

Interview started with the news that the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, had been killed in the opening hours of the war. > "It is definitely a sort of earthshattering event in the sense that when people identify the entire monstrosity of a regime that is depicted ultimately by the chief monster of these monsters when he's gone one the minute such a personality disappears it's like elation it was like oh my god it has finally occurred maybe this is it this is our chance now."

"You call him a monster." > "Well, I mean, ever since this regime has taken over, how many Iranians lives have been lost, I don't think you can have an example of such level of atrocity ever in the history of Iran or at least contemporary Iran that has occurred under this regime. And this is all because of Ali Khamenei's insistence and persistence to keep himself and his mafia regime in power at the expense of the Iranian people. I don't know how else can you depict it other than being true monsters in the real sense of the word."

This past January, Iranians poured into the streets. Pahlavi urged them on and hundreds of thousands marched. The regime gunned down an estimated 20,000 citizens. The massacre was a prelude to war. Video overnight after the announcement of the death of Ayatollah Khamenei in the city of Isfahan shows celebrations. > "That means that finally we are ready to go back to the streets. Even though I've cautioned them that for now you better take care of your own safety and stay at home. The time will come to go back on the streets. But then again you see that despite that people still are brave enough to say to hell with it because to us it's liberation. To us it's like a humanitarian intervention to protect lives that could otherwise be continued to be lost."

It gives the Iranian people a real opportunity now when they see the end of this regime that was always bound to collapse. Whether there was an intervention or not, > "we were prepared to fight the fight. There was too much blood between us and this regime. We were committed to fight regardless of outside intervention. They're thanking President Trump for actually standing on his word and acting upon his word."

"Do you actually believe this regime could fall after almost 50 years?" > "Of course."

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Reza Pahlavi on the future of Iran

US and Israel Strikes on Iran, Supreme Leader Killed00:01

Reza Pahlavi: Prominent Iranian Opposition Figure00:31

Reaction to Supreme Leader's Death01:02

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