Son of Iran’s Shah Pahlavi Visits Israel

Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s former Shah, after arriving in Tel Aviv, Israel (Twitter)
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s former Shah, after arriving in Tel Aviv, Israel (Twitter)
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Son of Iran’s Shah Pahlavi Visits Israel

Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s former Shah, after arriving in Tel Aviv, Israel (Twitter)
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s former Shah, after arriving in Tel Aviv, Israel (Twitter)

Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's former Shah, arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday for a visit that highlights the once-warm relationship between his father and Israel, despite the current hostility between the two countries.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani downplayed the visit's significance and declined to comment on it.

The Israeli government declared hours before the arrival of Pahlavi, the former Crown Prince of Iran, that he is “the most senior personality” ever to publicly visit Israel.

Pahlavi, 62, stated that he would deliver “a message of friendship from the Iranian people.”

Israel and Iran enjoyed warmer relations during the era of the Shah, who was backed by the US. However, after the Shah was overthrown in the 1979 revolution, the countries became hostile toward each other.

Israel stated that the purpose of Pahlavi’s visit is to create “a bridge between Israel and the Iranian people, and to express opposition to the Ayatollah regime.”

“A democratic Iran will seek to renew its ties with Israel and our Arab neighbors,” Pahlavi was quoted as saying in an Israeli statement. “In my opinion, that day is closer than ever.”

“I want the people of Israel to know that the Islamic Republic does not represent the Iranian people,” Pahlavi said in a Twitter post before his visit.

“The ancient bond between our people can be rekindled for the benefit of both nations. I’m going to Israel to play my role in building toward that brighter future.”

Pahlavi also said he plans to engage Israeli water experts on ways to address the mismanagement of Iran’s natural resources.

Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel confirmed that Pahlavi will visit a desalination plant to learn about Israel’s advanced water technologies.

Pahlavi is scheduled to participate in Israel’s official ceremonies commemorating the Holocaust during his visit. He will also meet with representatives of Israelis of Iranian origin, as well as representatives of the Baha'i community.



Erdogan Accuses Top Turkish Business Group of Political Meddling

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan delivers a statement during the United Nations climate change conference COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan November 12, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan delivers a statement during the United Nations climate change conference COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan November 12, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
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Erdogan Accuses Top Turkish Business Group of Political Meddling

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan delivers a statement during the United Nations climate change conference COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan November 12, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan delivers a statement during the United Nations climate change conference COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan November 12, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

President Tayyip Erdogan accused Türkiye's top business association, TUSIAD, of meddling in politics and undermining the government on Wednesday, piling pressure on a group already being investigated over an executive's remarks on democracy. Speaking to his ruling AK Party in the parliament, Erdogan said TUSIAD had "overstepped" and he dismissed it as a remnant of the past that had thrived on economic privilege and political influence.

"TUSIAD's mentality is a symbol of weak governments in Türkiye's past (and it is) full of businessmen who have grown under the shadow of unfair profits and privileges at the expense of the nation," he said.

"They once dictated politics through newspaper headlines. We put an end to that. We did not recognize any power above the will of the people," he said, accusing the group of fueling political instability and attempting to pressure the government. TUSIAD executive Omer Aras, who is the chairman of QNB's Turkish banking unit, last week criticized a government crackdown on dissenting figures, saying the probes into opposition leaders and journalists had shaken trust and damaged democracy. In response, a prosecutor's office opened an investigation into his remarks, prompting a drop in Istanbul-listed stocks. On Wednesday, Istanbul's prosecutors' office expanded the probe to include TUSIAD President Orhan Turhan, citing his statements at the group's general assembly as "misleading and disruptive to public order."

A statement on Wednesday from the Istanbul prosecutor's office said Aras and Turhan were under investigation for "attempting to influence a fair trial" and "publicly spreading misleading information," and that authorities had ordered them to appear for questioning. TUSIAD, whose members account for 85% of Türkiye's foreign trade and 80% of the country's corporate tax revenue, said on Tuesday it was working for national interests.

It did not address the investigation into Aras directly and did not immediately comment on Erdogan's remarks.

Erdogan said his government has raised per-capita income, built roads and spread prosperity since coming to power more than two decades ago. "As long as we are in power, no one will bring back the old system where a handful of elites siphoned off state resources," he said.

Opposition lawmakers have faced a wave of arrests, detentions and probes in the last few months that critics say aim to silence dissent and weaken Erdogan's rivals' electoral prospects. The government dismisses this accusation and says the judiciary is independent.