Reza Pahlavi says ready to lead Iran's “transition”

Exiled son of the last Iranian shah, who was overthrown during the 1979 revolution, has said he is ready to lead a transitional period “as soon as the Islamic Republic falls.” 

In an interview with Fox News, Reza Pahlavi, who lives in the United States, said he is already working on selecting individuals both inside and outside Iran to serve in what he called a “transitional system.”

"The transitional system, under my leadership, will be ready to assume governance of the country as soon as the Islamic Republic falls and, in the shortest possible time, establish order, security, freedom and the conditions for Iran’s prosperity and flourishing," he said.

In a social media post, Pahlavi said that "capable individuals" have been identified both inside and outside Iran to lead what he called a "transitional system."

Pahlavi has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled Iran’s monarchy and established the Islamic Republic.

He has in recent years sought to position himself as a unifying opposition figure and has said he would help guide a transition of power from theocracy to democracy in Iran.

By Khagan Isayev