Iran’s former crown prince Reza Pahlavi has congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the United States presidential elections on November 6, calling on the president-elect to partner with the "Iranian people against the ruling Islamic Republic."

Pahlavi, whose father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was toppled by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, has been leading an unsuccessful opposition abroad for years. In previous protests through the 1990s, 2000s, and 2022, Pahlavi reiterated calls to topple the regime. However, he has stopped short of saying he would like to return to rule the country, having been based in the US since the revolution. 

In a post on his X account on November 6 following Turmp's re-election, he commended how the billionaire “stood boldly with the Iranian people” against the Islamic Republic during his previous term (2016-2020).

He described the Islamic Republic as a government that threatens not only the Middle East but also the American people “with terror, instability, and chaos”, calling on Trump to help end it, Iran's Eqtesad Online reported on November 7.

"Now you have the opportunity to make history and leave a legacy of lasting peace by helping end this threat once and for all," he said, adding that the people of Iran will be "best partners" in this mission.

Trump implemented hostile policies against Iran during his previous term, including an exit from the 2015 nuclear deal that had lifted relief international sanctions on Iran.

He reimposed tough sanctions afterwards that eventually prompted Iranian leaders to scale down commitments, effectively unravelling a landmark agreement that had been struck after years of negotiation.

Trump is also infamous within the Islamic Republic for ordering the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Qods Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), which is in charge of overseas operations. Iran's previous president, Ebrahim Raisi, who died earlier in the year in a helicopter crash, warned at the time that Soleimani's death would be avenged, but Tehran has not responded. 

In the latest PBD Podcast hosted by Iranian émigré Patrick Bet-David featuring Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince discussed why the regime in Tehran should be uprooted but dodged questions about how that should happen. 

Pahlavi described Iran's leadership as a “mafia state” controlled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with a ruling elite that exploits the nation's wealth. At the same time, the general populace suffers under severe economic constraints.

In conversation with Bet-David before Trump's election, Pahlavi criticised Western governments for policies he saw as appeasement, calling on the United States and its allies to stop “cutting deals with Iran” and to take a stronger stance by backing anti-regime movements within the country.​

According to Pahlavi, Trump’s sanctions succeeded in isolating Iran financially, leading to conditions that almost toppled the regime.  However, he noted that the Biden administration has softened its stance, which he argued has allowed Iran’s leadership to regain its footing.

While Pahlavi’s calls for change are not new, his latest statements sharpen a growing impatience among opposition figures for more decisive action against Khamenei and his republic. Opposition groups and some people inside Iran believe his hawkish policies can help overthrow the clerical government. However, that outcome may lead to a complete collapse of the power structures already strained under years of underinvestment from the Islamic Republic.

Iranian media interpreted Pahlavi’s message to Trump as a call for military attack. The hardline newspaper Iran reported that Pahlavi implicitly asked Trump to help the opposition by “attack and action against Iran.”

“Reza Pahlavi has spent the last 4 decades in the dream of reigning over the people of Iran,” it said.

The journal added in its report that Pahlavi aimed to overthrow the Islamic Republic and seize power in Iran, believing that this goal could be achieved through the support of the US and Israel, potentially in the form of a military intervention.

That reliance on third countries to do his bidding has been part of the recent change in tact by the former royal who visited Israel and met with Benjamin Netanyahu in 2023.  Pahlavi called his visit to Israel a chance to deliver a “message of friendship from the Iranian people,” RFE reported. 

While the Iranian government has been relatively muted on Trump's re-election, with only a response to a reporter's comments, many on the streets of the capital city are discussing the shock win and the potential for the Iranian economy to hit new lows.  

Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesperson for the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, struck a defiant tone: "The sanctions have made us more resilient. We're not worried about Trump's victory."

She said it does not matter who becomes president in the US, because Iran has already made its plans, she also noted that US election will not impact people's livelihoods.