In the German federal government and among foreign‑policy officials of the Union and SPD, the potential future role of the Shah’s son Reza Pahlavi after the possible end of the Mullah regime in Iran is being approached with caution.
The Foreign Office noted that Mr Pahlavi has expressed a willingness to head a transitional government, but emphasized that it is up to the Iranian people to decide on their own government.
The CDU/CSU parliamentary group’s foreign‑policy spokesperson, Jürgen Hardt, told “Spiegel” that although he met Mr Pahlavi, a new government in Tehran should not be formed through overseas meetings. He strongly agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump that the Iranian populace must determine how to shape their future. Hardt added that a vision of a democratic, modern Iran with inclusive participation of women and minorities will certainly find support.
SPD’s foreign‑policy spokesperson, Adis Ahmetovic, explained to “Spiegel” that it is noticeable-especially among exiled Iranians in Germany-that many are aligning with Reza Pahlavi either out of conviction or pragmatism. He described this dynamic as part of the current opposition landscape, noting that the broader Iranian opposition is plural and diverse. Different actors and societal groups hold varying ideas about how a political transformation process could unfold. Ahmetovic stressed that the decision about Iran’s future ultimately lies with its people.
Former FDP secretary‑general Bijan Djir‑Sarai, who was sent from Iran to Germany by his parents as a child, said to “Spiegel” that the German government should recognize Mr Pahlavi as the face of the Iranian freedom movement, adding that only he could organize a transition to democracy in Iran.
Reza Pahlavi has lived abroad since the overthrow of his autocratic father in 1979, mainly in the United States. The 65‑year‑old, once named crown prince by his father, now claims a leadership role in the fractured Iranian opposition amid recent mass protests and the onset of U.S. and Israeli aggression against Iran. He recently appeared as a guest at the Munich Security Conference in February and delivered a speech to a large rally of the Iranian opposition in front of more than 200,000 people.
