Iran's Exiled Crown Prince Thanks Donald Trump For Offering To 'Rescue' Iranian Protesters

Last Updated:January 02, 2026, 23:35 IST

Reza Pahlavi thanked Donald Trump after the latter cautioned Iran against using force to quell protesters, saying the US was "locked and loaded" to come to their rescue.

Iran is witnessing intense protests over economic stagnation and the sharp fall of the national currency. (AFP)

Iran’s exiled Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, thanked US President Donald Trump after the latter warned the clerical regime of Iran against using violence against protesters, saying the United States will come to their rescue.

Iran is facing intense protests over economic hardship that entered their sixth day in parts of the country. Demonstrations have been driven largely by worsening economic conditions, soaring prices and the sharp fall of the national currency. At least seven people have been killed so far in incidents linked to the unrest, according to officials and media reports.

Amid growing volatility, Donald Trump cautioned Tehran against cracking down on demonstrators, saying that if Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters," the United States would “come to their rescue," adding that Washington was “locked and loaded."

In response, Pahlavi said on X, “President Trump, thank you for your strong leadership and support of my compatriots. This warning you have issued to the criminal leaders of the Islamic Republic gives my people greater strength and hope—hope that, at last, a President of the United States is standing firmly by their side."

He also promised to boost ties between the US and Iran if the hardline Islamic regime controlled by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is ended. “As they risk their lives to end this regime’s 46-year reign of chaos and terror, they send me with a responsibility and a message: to seek the relationship Iran once had with America that brought peace and prosperity to the Middle East. I have the plan for stable transition for Iran and the support of my people to get it done. With your leadership of the free world, we can leave a legacy of lasting peace."

Earlier, Pahlavi called for the “dawn of a new era in Iran" in his New Year’s message. “The current regime has reached the end of the road. It stands at its most fragile: weak, deeply divided, and unable to suppress the courage of a rising nation. The growing protests show this year will be the definitive moment for change," he said.

Pahlavi was officially named Crown Prince of Iran in 1967 at the time of his father’s coronation, and is still considered the Crown Prince of Iran in exile, despite the fall of the monarchy in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution, which led to the ouster of his father. He has repeatedly called for regime change in Iran.

Iran’s Response To Trump’s Threat

Meanwhile, Iran denounced Trump’s remarks and called its security a “red line". Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said, “Any intervening hand nearing Iran’s security on pretexts will be cut off with a regret-inducing response."

Ali Shamkhani also mocked Washington’s past interventions in the region, saying Iranians were well aware of what American “rescue" looked like, referring to US actions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Gaza. Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker who serves as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused Israel and the US of stoking the demonstrations.

“The people of the US should know that Trump began the adventurism. They should take care of their own soldiers," he added.

The current unrest is the most significant in Iran since 2022, when nationwide protests erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, posing one of the toughest challenges to the country’s leadership in recent years.

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