‘Make Iran Great Again’? Exiled Prince Pahlavi Courts Trump As Iran Burns, Critics Cry Opportunism

Exiled royal Reza Pahlavi praises Donald Trump and urges US backing as deadly protests rock Iran and global pressure grows on Tehran.

New Delhi: Exiled Iran’s former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has made an emotional appeal to US President Donald Trump, urging him to stand firmly with the Iranian people as protests demanding “freedom” continue to grip the country.

Speaking from Paris on Sunday, he described the US president as a “man of peace” and credited his words of support for giving courage to Iranians confronting what he called the Khamenei-led “terror regime”.

The 65-year-old, who is the son of Iran’s last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, said the incumbent leadership in Tehran rules through fear and repression and no longer represents the aspirations of ordinary citizens.

In an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Pahlavi urged Trump, “Mr. President, you have already forged a legacy as a man of peace. Your words of solidarity have given Iranians the strength to fight for freedom. And while Khamenei and his thugs call for ‘Death to America’, the Iranian people are renaming streets after you. They know you have their back and will not abandon them like Obama and Biden. After the fall of this terrorist regime, they will be your best partner for peace and prosperity. Help them liberate themselves and Make Iran Great Again!” he said.

He also claimed that a post-regime Iran would emerge as a close partner of the United States, focsused on stability, prosperity and peaceful engagement with the world. He argued that the Iranian people, once free, would choose cooperation over confrontation and rebuild the country’s global standing.

His remarks come as Iran continues to witness deadly unrest. According to the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), at least 420 protesters have been killed over the past 15 days, including eight children, CNN reported. The demonstrations began on December 28 as protests against rising inflation and worsening economic hardship, then spread across cities and towns, turning into nationwide unrest marked by violent clashes between protesters and security forces.

Authorities have responded with arrests, crackdowns and the use of force. Human rights groups have raised alarms over the high number of deaths and the treatment of those detained. Iranian officials have blamed the violence on “rioters” and alleged foreign interference, while insisting that legitimate economic grievances will be addressed.

Inside Iran, the official tone has hardened further. Iranian Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad said legal action against protesters would be uncompromising. According to Tasnim news agency, he stated that proceedings would be carried out “without leniency, mercy or appeasement”, adding, “The charges against all rioters are the same.”

As protests persist and international voices grow louder, Pahlavi’s call adds a new political dimension to the crisis, linking the future of Iran’s protest movement with direct appeals to the White House and the promise of a dramatically different Iran beyond the current leadership.