History of Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: June 15, 2025

Reza Pahlavi is the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, and Farah Diba. He was officially designated as the Crown Prince of Iran in 1967. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, he has remained a prominent figure advocating for a secular, democratic Iran. He has consistently called for free and fair elections and respect for human rights. While he does not advocate for the restoration of the monarchy, he believes the Iranian people should have the right to choose their form of government through a referendum.

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Full Timeline

June 12, 1986: Pahlavi married Yasmine Etemad-Amini

On June 12, 1986, Reza Pahlavi, then aged 25, married Yasmine Etemad-Amini, then aged 17, in Greenwich, Connecticut.

September 1986: CIA transmitted Pahlavi's speech to Iranian television

In September 1986, the Reagan administration authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to support and fund Iranian exiles, including Pahlavi. The CIA transmitted Pahlavi's 11-minute speech, during which he vowed "I will return", to Iranian television by pirating its frequency. A group in Paris calling itself 'Flag of Freedom' claimed responsibility for the act in September 1986.

February 1989: CIA refuses to comment on helping Pahlavi

In February 1989, when James Mann asked the CIA about whether they helped Pahlavi, they refused to comment. A spokesperson of the agency told him, "We would not confirm nor deny an intelligence matter".

1990: Former bodyguard sues Pahlavi

In 1990, Ali Haydar Shahbazi, a former Imperial Guard member who worked for Pahlavi as a longtime bodyguard, filed a lawsuit against Pahlavi. Shahbazi accused Pahlavi of breaching Iranian tradition by breaking his pledge to take care of him financially. Shahbazi asked compensation for the $30,000 in taxes and penalties as well as an undetermined amount of money for his retirement.

1990: Pahlavi and Ansari file lawsuits against each other

In 1990, Pahlavi and Ahmad Ali Massoud Ansari, his close aide and financial advisor, filed lawsuits against each other. Pahlavi accused Ansari of embezzlement, while Ansari claimed a lien against Pahlavi.

1991: Pahlavi's bodyguard lawsuit dismissed

In 1991, District Judge Albert Vickers Bryan Jr. dismissed the case from Ali Haydar Shahbazi against Pahlavi, arguing that Pahlavi "had little knowledge of how his estate's money was spent and could not be held personally accountable for employment agreements with servants".