When his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran, faced by an army mutiny and violent public demonstrations, went into voluntary exile on January 17, 1979, young Pahlavi was a trainee fighter pilot at a US air base in Texas. Two weeks later, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of the Islamic revolution, took control of the country. Neither Pahlavi nor his father ever set foot in Iran again.
Ahead of his recent visit, Pahlavi said: “I am traveling to Israel to deliver a message of friendship from the Iranian people…I want the people of Israel to know that the Islamic Republic does not represent the Iranian people. The ancient bond between our people can be rekindled for the benefit of both nations. I’m going to Israel to play my role in building toward that brighter future.” READ MORE
