Trump envoy reportedly meets with exiled Iranian prince as regime faces protests

White House envoy Steve Wiktoff reportedly held a concealed gathering with exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi implicit the play arsenic the authorities faces intensifying protests.

The alleged gathering was archetypal reported by Axios, which cited a elder U.S. official, and said the speech occurred implicit the weekend. This would correspond the archetypal high-level gathering betwixt the Trump medication and the Iranian absorption since the anti-regime protests erupted 15 days ago. Axios noted that Pahlavi has been trying to overgarment himself arsenic the "transitional" person if the authorities falls.

Pahlavi's father, the precocious Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was deposed during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which transformed the state from a monarchy to an Islamic republic.

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Reza Pahlavi, (L) the lad of Iran's toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, speaks during a property conference, Monday, June 23, 2025 successful Paris| AP Photo/Thomas Padilla Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) | AP (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

A U.S. elder authoritative who reportedly spoke to Axios was amazed that Pahlavi's sanction was being chanted astatine galore of the demonstrations.

"There has been an ascendance of Pahlavi. They are chanting his sanction successful demonstrations successful galore cities and it seems to beryllium happening organically," the U.S. authoritative told Axios.

Pahlavi has precocious urged President Donald Trump to intervene, praising him arsenic a "man of peace."

"Mr. President, this is an urgent and contiguous telephone for your attention, support, and action," Pahlavi wrote successful a Jan. 9 station connected X. He accused Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of utilizing the blackout to transportation retired a brutal crackdown and encouraged Trump to "be prepared to intervene to assistance the radical of Iran."

In this framework drawback from video obtained by the AP extracurricular Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a representation of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protestation successful Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

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Trump precocious said successful an interrogation with Hugh Hewitt that Iran has "been told precise strongly, adjacent much powerfully than I’m speaking to you close now, that if they bash that, they’re going to person to wage hell," according to The Associated Press. However, successful the aforesaid interview, the president seemed to formed uncertainty connected the thought that helium would conscionable with Pahlavi. Witkoff's gathering would contiguous a important departure from the president's caller statements.

While the president has yet to instrumentality a nationalist stance successful favour of Pahlavi, helium has been unfastened astir his enactment for the radical of Iran.

"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They volition wage a large price," Trump wrote successful a Truth Social station connected Tuesday. "I person cancelled each meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless sidesplitting of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!"

Demonstrators pain pictures of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei extracurricular the Iranian embassy during a rally successful enactment of nationwide protests successful Iran, successful London, Britain, Jan. 12, 2026.  (Toby Melville/Reuters)

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In the aboriginal days of the protests, Trump warned the authorities that the U.S. was "locked and loaded" and acceptable to instrumentality enactment if the Iranian authorities utilized unit against protesters. However, the U.S. has yet to marque factual moves contempt reports of protesters being killed and Trump's latest statement.

The White House did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment.