In a significant political appeal at the Munich Security Conference, Reza Pahlavi—the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch—publicly called upon U.S. President Donald Trump to support the Iranian people in their struggle against the current regime. Speaking to international press on Saturday, February 14, 2026, Pahlavi declared that the time had come to dismantle the Islamic Republic, citing the widespread suffering and bloodshed of his compatriots as the driving force behind this demand.
Pahlavi, who has lived outside Iran since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew his father’s monarchy, directly addressed President Trump: ‘The Iranian people heard you say help is on the way, and they have faith in you. Help them.’ His statements come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, with the Trump administration maintaining a consistently hardline stance against the Iranian government.
The Munich Security Conference, typically focused on global defense and diplomatic matters, provided an unexpected platform for this dramatic appeal regarding Iran’s political future. Pahlavi’s remarks represent the most explicit call to date from the exiled opposition for direct American involvement in regime change efforts. While the White House has not immediately responded to these specific comments, the administration has previously expressed support for Iranian protesters and opposition movements.
Historical context underscores the significance of Pahlavi’s appeal. The 1979 revolution not only ended nearly 2,500 years of monarchy but established the world’s first modern Islamic republic. Four decades later, the son of the deposed Shah now positions himself as a symbolic figurehead for those seeking to overturn that revolutionary outcome, though he has not explicitly claimed the throne for himself.