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Trump’s Envoy Met with Iranian Opposition Leader

Steve Witkoff's secret meeting with Reza Pahlavi marks the first high-level contact since Iran's protests began; Israel estimates at least 5,000 protesters killed, U.S. officials say.

  • Recently, White House envoy Steve Witkoff met secretly with exiled former crown prince Reza Pahlavi to discuss protests in Iran, but officials say the Trump administration did not publicly detail the contact.
  • This was the first high-level meeting between Pahlavi and the Trump administration since the protests began late last month.
  • U.S. officials noted that protesters chanted Pahlavi's name in many cities, and analysts including Karim Sadjadpour argue he channels nationalist nostalgia as a possible unifying figure.
  • On Tuesday, the White House national security team met to weigh response options, with deliberations at an early stage and President Donald Trump absent from the meeting.
  • Estimates of the death toll vary widely, and protests continued on Tuesday across Iranian cities; Israel shared an assessment with the U.S. that at least 5,000 protesters had been killed, according to a U.S. official.
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Lean Left

US special envoy Steve Witkoff met secretly with Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi over the weekend to discuss the protests in Iran, Axios reported, citing a senior US official. The Trump administration was surprised when protesters chanted the prince's name during many demonstrations, again citing a senior US official. "There has been a surge in Pahlavi's popularity. They are chanting his name at demonstrations in many cities, and it seems to b…

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Lean Left

The administration of US President Donald Trump has begun assessing possible ways to respond to large-scale anti-government protests in Iran.

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Lean Left

According to reports, Reza Pahlavi is preparing to return to Iran as interim leader in the event of the regime's fall.

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Portfolio broke the news in on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
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