Reza Pahlavi (born 31 October 1960) is an Iranian opposition leader and a proponent of liberal democracy in Iran. He is the current Leader of the Iranian Transitional Government since February 2025. A member of the Pahlavi dynasty, he is the eldest son of Farah Diba and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last shah of Iran.
Reza Pahlavi has been called the "poster boy of the democracy movement" in Iran. He is the founder and leader of the National Council of Iran, an exiled Iranian opposition group. He is also a proponent of a free referendum in Iran to determine the nature of the future government. He was officially named Crown Prince of Iran in 1967 at the time of his father's coronation. A US trained fighter pilot, Pahlavi offered his service to Iran during the Iran–Iraq War but was refused by the Iranian government. He is a participant in the Iranian democracy movement, and is a prominent critic of Iran's Islamic Republic government. Pahlavi has repeatedly called for protests against the Islamic Republic and its removal.
Pahlavi has advocated for Iran to become an ally of the West and Europe. According to the Daily Telegraph, Pahlavi has recognition both within and outside Iran as well as plans to reform Iran. The Atlantic Council has suggested he is a unifying figure of the Iranian opposition. In February 2025, Pahlavi was selected by various factions of the Iranian opposition as the leader of the opposition as well as the leader of the future transitional government "until the formation of the first national assembly and the commencement of a democratic government through free elections".