SAEDNEWS: A newly circulated image of Reza Pahlavi—son of Iran’s last monarch—struggling through a simple workout routine with assistance from his wife and daughter has gone viral, fueling fresh mockery over his public persona and political ambitions.
According to Saed News, a photo of Reza Pahlavi in what appears to be a lighthearted but unflattering moment has set Persian-language social media abuzz. The image shows the aging former crown prince attempting a basic physical exercise, visibly dependent on help from his daughter and spouse. Critics have seized on the scene to underscore what they describe as Pahlavi’s lack of personal capability, let alone leadership potential.
The image, shared widely with mocking captions and emojis, has been dubbed by some users as a portrait of “royal dependence”—a not-so-subtle jab at Pahlavi’s longstanding reliance on symbolic capital rather than substantive political achievement. The former royal, now in his sixties, continues to receive an allowance from his nonagenarian mother, Farah Diba, according to some of his detractors—an oft-repeated talking point used to discredit his relevance.
While the post elicited laughter from critics of the monarchy, it also stirred deeper questions about the role of exiled opposition figures in Iran’s political future. Some commentators argue that such personal ridicule reflects a broader skepticism toward hereditary claims to leadership in a nation where revolutionary memory remains vivid and deeply polarized.
Pahlavi, who positions himself as a unifying figure for a democratic Iran, has not responded to the viral photo. Yet for many viewers, the image offered a metaphor—intended or not—for a faltering political legacy propped up by family ties rather than public legitimacy.
