Prince Reza Pahlavi says he wants to lead Iran in a transition to democracy.

Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the country's last shah, is making his case for transitioning his home country to a democracy.

Pahlavi has lived outside of Iran since his father, the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ushered in the Islamic Republic. With the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, Pahlavi said he believes the regime could fall. He believes the people of Iran trust him as a transitional leader, even though he's lived outside the country for the last 47 years. 

Pahlavi said he sees four core principles for building a new Iran.

"Number one is Iran's territorial integrity. Number two is a clear separation of religion from state, which is a prerequisite to democracy. And we paid the price, understanding what it means to live under a religious dictatorship. Number three is, of course, equality of all citizens under the law and individual liberties. And most importantly, the process, or democratic process, to allow the people to elect and decide what the future system of governance should be."

Pahlavi said he imagines peace with Israel and that he believes Iran's nuclear weapons program should be totally dismantled.

Pahlavi said he's been in touch with the Trump administration and members of Congress. In January, President Trump expressed skepticism about Pahlavi's ability to gain the backing of the Iranian public. 

Who is Reza Pahlavi

Pahlavi was 18 and living in Lubbock, Texas, where the U.S. Air Force was training him to be a fighter pilot, during the 1979 Iranian revolution. 

His father, Iran's last king, had a close relationship with the United States, but he was also known for suppressing opposition and showering his friends with wealth. The shah left Iran in 1979 amid rising political tension and died the following year.

With the shah's departure, Ayatollah Khomeini led a revolution in Iran, beginning a decades-long regime. 

This past January, Pahlavi, from outside Iran, urged Iranians to continue to rise up in protest against the regime. Hundreds of thousands marched. The regime killed an estimated 20,000 citizens.

Source: www.cbsnews.com

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