Trump Questions Pahlavi’s Support Inside Iran as Exiled Crown Prince Unveils Six‑Step Plan for Regime Pressure
The White House acknowledged a secret weekend meeting between Trump envoy Steve Witkoff (and reportedly other senior aides including Jared Kushner) and exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, even as President Trump publicly questioned whether Iranians would accept Pahlavi’s leadership, calling him "very nice" but saying a meeting may not yet be appropriate. Pahlavi meanwhile unveiled a six‑step plan calling for "maximum economic pressure" on Tehran — targeting IRGC leadership and command-and-control, blocking regime assets and dismantling "ghost" oil tankers, enabling uncensored internet access and cyber operations to prevent shutdowns, expelling diplomats and pursuing legal cases, securing the release of political prisoners, and preparing recognition of a transitional government.
📌 Key Facts
- The White House acknowledged a secret weekend meeting between Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi — described as the first high‑level contact between the Trump administration and the Iranian opposition since protests began; reporting also indicates Pahlavi has met with other senior Trump officials, including Jared Kushner.
- On Jan. 9 Pahlavi posted on X directly addressing Trump, urging him to "be prepared to intervene" and accusing Ayatollah Khamenei of using an internet blackout to mask a brutal crackdown on protesters.
- Pahlavi unveiled a detailed six‑step plan to pressure Tehran that includes targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership and command‑and‑control infrastructure, and employing cyber operations to disable the regime’s ability to shut down the internet.
- His plan calls for "maximum economic pressure" — blocking regime assets worldwide and dismantling Iran’s fleet of so‑called "ghost" oil tankers — and urges foreign governments to enable uncensored internet access in Iran (via Starlink and similar tools).
- Pahlavi also urged states to expel Iranian diplomats, pursue legal actions against officials for crimes against humanity, demand the immediate release of political prisoners, and commit to recognizing a "legitimate transitional government" if the regime falls.
- Pahlavi is positioning himself as a potential transitional leader, saying Iranians have "called for me to lead," claiming the Islamic Republic is "close to collapse," and expressing confidence he has domestic support.
- Former President Trump has publicly urged Iranians on Truth Social to "KEEP PROTESTING" and warned Iran it would "pay hell" if it continues killing protesters, but he has also expressed reluctance to meet Pahlavi now — saying he wants to "see who emerges" and noting Pahlavi may not yet have domestic backing — a posture that contrasts with the administration aide-level contacts.
📊 Relevant Data
According to a 2025 GAMAAN survey on Iranians' political preferences, approximately 33% of respondents expressed support for Reza Pahlavi as a potential leader, with support varying by demographics.
Analytical Report on “Iranians' Political Preferences in 2024” — GAMAAN
In the 2025 GAMAAN survey, support for Reza Pahlavi was higher among men (36%) than women (27%), with Iran's population being approximately 49% female and 51% male as of 2025 estimates.
Analytical Report on “Iranians' Political Preferences in 2024” — GAMAAN
The 2025 GAMAAN survey found support for Reza Pahlavi higher among older individuals (34% for those over 30) than youth (29% for those under 30), in a country where about 60% of the population is under 30 as of 2025.
Analytical Report on “Iranians' Political Preferences in 2024” — GAMAAN
Support for Reza Pahlavi was higher among less-educated Iranians (33%) compared to more-educated ones in the 2025 GAMAAN survey, where education levels show about 25% of adults have tertiary education as of 2025.
Analytical Report on “Iranians' Political Preferences in 2024” — GAMAAN
Support for Reza Pahlavi is lower in Iranian provinces with higher ethnic minority populations, such as Kurdish (10% of population) and Azeri (16% of population) regions, compared to Persian-majority areas (61% of population), as per 2025 surveys.
Majority of Iranians reject Islamic Republic, survey finds — Iran International
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Reza Pahlavi publicly unveiled a detailed six‑step plan for international pressure on Iran’s regime, including targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership and command‑and‑control infrastructure.
- He called for "maximum economic pressure" through blocking regime assets worldwide and dismantling Iran’s fleet of "ghost" oil tankers.
- Pahlavi urged foreign governments to enable uncensored internet access in Iran via Starlink and other tools and to conduct cyber operations to disable the regime’s ability to shut the internet down.
- He called on states to expel Iranian diplomats, pursue legal actions against officials for crimes against humanity, demand immediate release of all political prisoners, and commit to recognizing a "legitimate transitional government" when the regime falls.
- Pahlavi asserted that Iranians have "called for me to lead" a transition, claimed the Islamic Republic is "close to collapse," and said he is confident he has domestic support even as Trump remains non‑committal.
- Trump told Reuters that Reza Pahlavi 'seems very nice' but said he does not know whether Iranians would 'accept his leadership' and that the situation is 'not up to that point yet'.
- Trump reiterated to Hugh Hewitt on Jan. 8 that he is unsure it would be 'appropriate' to meet Pahlavi now and wants to 'let everybody go out there, and we see who emerges.'
- The piece confirms Axios reporting that Pahlavi has already met with senior Trump officials including envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and that he is trying to position himself as a 'transitional' leader if the regime falls.
- Confirms, via Fox News’ reporting off the Axios scoop, that the White House acknowledges Steve Witkoff’s secret weekend meeting with Reza Pahlavi as the first high‑level contact between the Trump administration and the Iranian opposition since protests began.
- Details Pahlavi’s Jan. 9 X post addressing Trump directly, urging him to 'be prepared to intervene' and accusing Ayatollah Khamenei of using the internet blackout to mask a brutal crackdown.
- Quotes Trump’s recent Truth Social message telling 'Iranian Patriots' to 'KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!' and claiming 'HELP IS ON ITS WAY,' plus his statement that Iran has been warned it will 'pay hell' if it continues killing protesters.
- Highlights that, in the same Hugh Hewitt interview where Trump threatened Iran with severe consequences, he publicly cast doubt on personally meeting Pahlavi, making Witkoff’s contact a departure from Trump’s stated line.