Contributor

Reza Pahlavi

Crown Prince of Iran. Politician, Human Rights Advocate, Environmentalist

Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran (Persian: رضا پهلوی‎‎, born 31 October 1960) is the last heir to the throne of the Imperial State of Iran and is the current head of the House of Pahlavi. He is the older son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi. Currently a resident of the United States, Reza Pahlavi is the founder and leader of the National Union for Democracy in Iran, as well as National Council of Iran. Reza Pahlavi left Iran at the age of 17 for air force training at Reese Air Force Base near Lubbock, Texas, two years before the Iranian Revolution. According to Afshin Ellian, an Iranian-born philosopher of law and expert in international law, "in Iran, there are two names known to virtually all, even in the most remote villages. The first name is Ayatollah Khamenei and the second one is Reza Pahlavi." In 2011, Reza Pahlavi was named Iran's Person Of The Year by an online poll conducted by Radio Farda that included thousands of Iranian respondents inside and outside Iran. He continues to push for regime change in Iran and a constitutional convention for a new Iranian government free and fair election to be ratified by the Iranian people.