Iran’s exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, often called the country’s “crown prince,” is being kept at arm’s length by Washington as Donald Trump signals the US will not anoint any successor to Iran’s current regime. The backdrop is nationwide unrest inside Iran, a collapsing economy, and vows by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to crush enemies despite mounting pressure. Trump’s remarks signal that Washington is not prepared to formally back Pahlavi’s bid to “lead a transition” away from the Islamic Republic, even as the exiled monarchist—son of the last Shah deposed in 1979—cultivates ties with Israel and brands himself the figurehead of a post‑Khamenei Iran.