Amid violent protests, Trump envoy holds secret meeting with Shah of Iran's son

At a time when protests against the regime were intensifying in Iran, with hundreds if not thousands killed, Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's special envoy, held a secret meeting with the exiled son of Iran's last shah.

According to Axios, Witkoff and Reza Pahlavi discussed the unrest that is rocking the country over the weekend. This is the first high-level meeting between the Iranian opposition and the Trump administration since the protests erupted 15 days ago.

Pahlavi is trying to position himself as a transitional leader in the event of the regime's downfall, however he does not enjoy widespread popularity among Iranians.

Earlier today, Tuesday, President Trump, in a tweet, called on Iranian citizens to "continue the protests" and "occupy government institutions," emphasizing that "help is on the way."

Pahlavi is the son of the shah who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He currently leads an opposition group based in the United States. Since the unrest erupted, he has significantly increased his media appearances, calling on the Trump administration to intervene to support the protests.

However, as Axios notes, at the beginning of the protests, the Trump administration did not consider Pahlavi to be a significant political factor. A senior US official said the administration was surprised that during many of the protests, demonstrators chanted the name of the exiled Pahlavi.

"Most of these protesters were born after the 1979 Revolution and feel nostalgia for a period they never experienced, when the country's economy was growing, there was social freedom, and Iran had a positive international image. Pahlavi is the leader who, for many Iranians, best embodies this patriotism and this progressive nostalgia to make Iran great again," an analyst told Axios.

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