Steve Witkoff is said to have held a clandestine meeting with exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi over the weekend as the regime grapples with escalating protests.
The purported meeting was first reported by a source citing a senior U.S. official, stating the conversation took place over the weekend. This would mark the initial high-level encounter between the Trump administration and the Iranian opposition since the anti-regime protests broke out 15 days prior. Axios noted that Pahlavi has been endeavoring to position himself as the “transitional” leader should the regime collapse.
Pahlavi’s father, the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was ousted during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which transitioned the nation from a monarchy to an Islamic republic.
A senior U.S. official who reportedly communicated with Axios was taken aback that Pahlavi’s name was being chanted at numerous demonstrations.
The U.S. official informed Axios, “Pahlavi has gained prominence. His name is being chanted in demonstrations across many cities, and it appears to be occurring spontaneously.”
Pahlavi has recently appealed to the President to intervene, hailing him as a “man of peace.”
Pahlavi wrote in a Jan. 9 post on X, “Mr. President, this is an urgent appeal for your attention, support, and action.” He accused Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of leveraging the blackout to conduct a ruthless crackdown and encouraged Trump to “be ready to intervene to assist the [people].”
Trump stated in a recent interview with Hugh Hewitt that Iran “has been told very forcefully, even more so than I’m telling you now, that if they do that, they will face severe consequences.” However, in the same interview, the president seemed to express skepticism about meeting with Pahlavi. Witkoff’s meeting would represent a notable deviation from the president’s recent remarks.
Although the president has not yet taken a public position in support of Pahlavi, he has been forthright about his backing for the Iranian people.
Trump wrote in a post on Tuesday, “Iranian Patriots, CONTINUE PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Record the names of the killers and abusers. They will face severe retribution.” “I have canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters ceases. HELP IS ON THE WAY. MIGA!!!”
In the initial days of the protests, Trump warned the regime that the U.S. was “prepared and ready to act” if the Iranian government resorted to violence against protesters. Nevertheless, the U.S. has not made tangible moves despite reports of protester deaths and Trump’s recent statement.
The White House did not promptly respond to Digital’s request for comment.