SAEDNEWS: In 1957, Shah Pahlavi visited Spain for an official meeting with dictator General Franco. Though intended as a political trip, he brought along close associates, his personal physician, and his wife, with expenses funded by the public to benefit the Pahlavi family.
According to SAEDNEWS, this is an image from the official visit of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi to Spain in 1957. In this photo, Soraya Esfandiary, the second wife of Mohammad Reza Shah, and Abdol Karim Ayadi, the royal physician, are also seen. Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi visited Spain in 1957 and met with General Franco, the infamous Spanish dictator.
Shah Pahlavi arrived in Madrid on May 21 with his close associates and personal physician. His beloved wife, Soraya Esfandiary, accompanied him on this trip. Shah and Soraya separated about eight months after this visit. Franco personally greeted Shah at the airport and arranged an extravagant reception for the visit. He also gifted Shah one of Spain’s national honors and invited him for a seven-day trip to various cities in Spain. Franco’s affection for Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was not surprising, as both Franco and Shah were military figures who had come to power through military coups, resulting in authoritarian governments. However, General Franco was a dictator with fascist and racist tendencies, while Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was more of a traditional autocrat without a specific political ideology.
The royal physician seen in this image was one of the controversial figures of the Pahlavi regime. His name was Abdol Karim Ayadi, born into a Baha'i family, and initially served as the physician for Alireza Pahlavi, the younger brother of the Shah.
