Pahlavi, the eldest son of the former shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has long called for the overthrow of the Islamic republic. But he has increased his political activities since nationwide antiestablishment protests erupted across Iran in September. The monthslong demonstrations were the biggest threat to the clerical establishment in decades. In recent months, Pahlavi has visited a host of countries in Europe, lobbying officials to isolate the Islamic republic and support Iran's protest movement and the pro-democracy exiled opposition. In March, Pahlavi and several other opposition figures, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and anti-hijab activist Masih Alinejad, published a charter for the establishment of a democratic Iran. But the charter has failed to garner widespread support among Iranians amid reports that it calls for the breakup of Iran.
