Foreign Affairs

Deposed Shah’s Son Praises ‘Beginning Of Our Great National Celebration,’ Urges Vigilance In Wake Of Ayatollah’s Death

(Screenshot/Public/NBC News)

The last shah of Iran’s eldest son said Saturday the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei effectively marks the end of his birth country’s Islamic theocracy, which ousted his father from power 47 years ago.

President Donald Trump confirmed Saturday afternoon Khameni was killed during the daytime strikes against Iran carried out by the U.S. and Israel. Reza Pahlavi — whose father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ruled Iran from 1941 until his deposition in 1979 — called Khamenei a “bloodthirsty despot” and said the regime he had presided over will soon be in “the dustbin of history.”

“Ali Khamenei, the bloodthirsty despot of our time, the murderer of tens of thousands of Iran’s bravest sons and daughters, has been erased from the face of history,” Pahlavi, 65, wrote in a late Saturday post to X. “With his death, the Islamic Republic has in effect reached its end and will very soon be consigned to the dustbin of history.”

The last shah’s son stated that any “attempt by the remnants of the regime to appoint a successor to Khamenei is doomed to fail from the outset.”

My fellow compatriots,

Ali Khamenei, the bloodthirsty despot of our time, the murderer of tens of thousands of Iran’s bravest sons and daughters, has been erased from the face of history. With his death, the Islamic Republic has in effect reached its end and will very soon be… https://t.co/pm3ZXY9IYZ

— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) February 28, 2026

“Whoever they place in his stead will have neither legitimacy nor longevity, and will undoubtedly be complicit in the crimes of this regime as well. To the military, law enforcement, and security forces: any effort to preserve a collapsing regime will fail,” he added. “This is your final opportunity to join the nation, to help ensure Iran’s stable transition to a free and prosperous future, and to take part in building that future.”

“This may be the beginning of our great national celebration, but it is not the end of the road,” Pahlavi concluded, addressing the Iranian people. “Remain vigilant and prepared. The time for a widespread and decisive presence in the streets is very near. Together, united and steadfast, we will bring about the final victory, and we will celebrate Iran’s freedom across our beloved homeland.”

Pahlavi in January 2026 called on Iranians to take to the streets in a massive protest against the country’s theocratic government.

“Those of you who were still hesitant, join your fellow countrymen on Friday night (19 Dey – 8 PM), and make the crowds even larger so that the regime’s ability to suppress becomes even weaker than it already is,” he wrote in Persian in a Jan. 9 post to X.

The former shah’s son currently resides in the Washington, D.C. area, living in exile in the U.S. for decades since Iran’s 1979 revolution.

“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Saturday. “This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS.”