Donald Trump’s chief negotiator, Steve Witkoff, reportedly held a secret meeting last weekend with the former Iranian Crown Prince in exile, Reza Pahlavi.
A senior U.S. official told Axios that the meeting focused on the bloody protests that have erupted in Iran over the past two weeks, during which more than 1,850 demonstrators are estimated to have been killed by the regime.
This event marks the first high-level meeting between the Iranian opposition and the Trump administration since the start of the protests. The son of Iran’s last Shah, Reza Pahlavi, has openly stated his intentions to return to Iran and frequently posts messages directed at Donald Trump on U.S.-based social media platforms.
“Mr. President, you have already established a legacy as a man of peace. Your words of solidarity have given the Iranian people strength to fight for freedom. And while Khamenei and his bandits call for ‘Death to America,’ the Iranian people are renaming streets in your honor,” he said.
Pahlavi called on civil servants and security forces to stand with the protesters, emphasizing that the freedom of Iran is near.
