Swedish Christian Democrats defend invitation to Iranian exile prince

The leader of Sweden’s Christian Democrats has defended her party’s decision to invite Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, to address parliament, stating that dialogue with opposition forces is “self-evident.”

Pahlavi, who resides in the US, will visit Sweden’s Riksdag on Monday at the invitation of the Christian Democrats and the Sweden Democrats. Party leader Ebba Busch told public broadcaster SVT that engaging with Iranian opposition figures advocating for free elections was a natural step.

“Should we refrain from meeting those fighting for a free and democratic Iran? I find that very hard to justify,” Busch said. “Of course we should have dialogue with them.”

Busch previously expressed support for Pahlavi at a pro-Iran protest in Stockholm, concluding her speech with the phrase “long live the shah”—a rallying cry she compared to Ukraine’s “Slava Ukraini.” She clarified that Iranians themselves should decide their leadership in a future democratic system.

Critics, including the Green Party’s foreign policy spokesperson Jacob Risberg, called the invitation “stomach-turning,” arguing that Pahlavi’s presence risks deepening divisions among exiled Iranians. “He is the son of a former dictator, and many Iranian exiles strongly oppose him,” Risberg told SVT.

Pahlavi is the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown in Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.