Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi visits Israel, envisions future Iran-Israel alliance

Iranian former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi visited Israel on Sunday for a meeting with the president of the World Jewish Congress, Sylvan Adams, where the two discussed the future of Iran, the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom, and the possibility of renewed ties between Iran and Israel.

Pahlavi, who lives in exile and is the de facto leader in Iranian diaspora communities, spoke about recent events in Iran and expressed support for those opposing the Islamic Republic. Many members of the Iranian diaspora, particularly in the United States, left Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

“Thousands of Iranians have recently been killed,” Pahlavi told Adams, referring to the crackdown on nationwide protests in January that human rights groups have said resulted in thousands of deaths.

Pahlavi said those who died were not motivated by geopolitical issues but by a desire for freedom, saying they “did not die so that a strait would remain open or for the sake of a nuclear deal. They died for freedom.”

Adams, who heads the World Jewish Congress, an international organization representing Jewish communities worldwide and advocating on issues including antisemitism, Jewish security, Holocaust remembrance and relations with governments, expressed support for Pahlavi’s vision of a future Iran.

“We are discussing the hope for the freedom and liberation of the Iranian people, who have suffered for many long years and thirst for freedom,” Adams said.

“I believe this will happen in the very near future. The entire Jewish people supports your vision of a free, pluralistic, representative and democratic Iran, and we will stand with you shoulder to shoulder.”

Pahlavi also highlighted the historical relationship between Iran and the Jewish people. “What we seek to achieve in the 21st century actually began 2,500 years ago. Iran and Israel are the only two countries in the world that have a biblical connection. We have always had the support of Jews around the world and Israelis in the struggle for Iran’s freedom, and for that we are grateful.”

During the meeting, Pahlavi discussed his plans to rebuild Iran after the current regime is removed. He also invited Adams to visit Tehran with him in the future to explore potential locations for an Israeli embassy, while discussing the possibility of an Iranian embassy in Jerusalem.

Adams said he intends to accept the invitation and presented Pahlavi with two mezuzahs made from Jerusalem stone with parchment scrolls inside that were inscribed by a Jewish man of Iranian origin. A mezuzah is a small parchment scroll containing verses from the Torah, including the Shema prayer, traditionally affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes and buildings as a sign of faith and observance.

“One mezuzah is intended for the future Israeli embassy in Tehran, and the other for the future Iranian embassy in Jerusalem,” Adams said.

The meeting comes amid continued tensions between Iran’s government and opposition figures abroad, as well as ongoing debate over the future of Iran’s relations with the international community.

Before the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, an estimated 100,000 Jews lived in the country, descended from communities that had settled there through various historical periods, including the Assyrian conquest of the northern Kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BC, the Babylonian Exile in 586 BC, and the later conquest of Babylon by the Persian Emperor Cyrus the Great in 539 B.C.

Over the centuries, these Jewish communities developed deep roots in Persia and made significant contributions to the societies in which they lived. Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979, however, the vast majority of Iran’s Jewish population left the country, with only a few thousand, mostly elderly residents, remaining. Many Iranian Jews immigrated to Israel, and today an estimated 250,000 Israeli citizens are first-, second- and third-generation descendants of these communities.

Persia, the ancient name for Iran, is mentioned 36 times in the Bible, and other ancient writings describe historical connections between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and Persia. Persia is also mentioned prominently in biblical prophetic writings, including Ezekiel 38-39, where it is listed among the nations that would attack Israel from multiple directions before God intervenes and saves His people from destruction.