US envoy met with son of deposed shah amid protests in Iran: Report

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff met over the weekend with the eldest son of Iran’s deposed shah, Axios reported Tuesday.

The reported meeting with Reza Pahlavi was the first contact since nationwide protests erupted in Iran.

The frequent mention of Pahlavi's name during recent protests surprised the US administration, an American official told Axios.

Pahlavi has recently been making frequent appearances in American media. However, Trump declined to endorse him during an interview last week.

The Pahlavi dynasty ruled Iran from 1925 until the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The deposed shah died in Egypt in 1980.

His son Pahlavi has emerged as a prominent opposition figure amid the current demonstrations.

Protests in Iran began last month over worsening economic conditions and the record depreciation of the national currency, the rial. Tehran has accused Washington and Tel Aviv of supporting what it characterizes as “riots” and “terrorism.”

There are no official casualty figures, but US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates at least 646 people have died, including security forces and protesters, with over 1,000 injured. The group reported at least 10,721 detentions across 585 locations nationwide.