Steve Witkoff, the special representative of the U.S. president, held a secret meeting with Reza Pahlavi — the former crown prince of Iran who is in exile. This was reported by a senior U.S. official.
This is reported by Kyiv24
First Contact of the Trump Administration with Iranian Opposition
The meeting, which took place last weekend, was the first at such a level between representatives of the Iranian opposition and the administration of President Donald Trump since the onset of mass protests in Iran. Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah of Iran who was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution of 1979, currently leads the opposition movement and resides in the U.S. He positions himself as a potential leader during a transitional period in the event of a change of power in Iran.
U.S. Administration’s Response to Iranian Protests
On Tuesday morning, the White House National Security team held a meeting to discuss possible courses of action in response to events in Iran; however, President Trump did not participate. According to a representative of the U.S. administration, the process of determining approaches to support the protesters is still in its early stages. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in closed meetings that currently only non-kinetic methods of assistance to Iranian protesters are being considered.
Human rights groups claim that the Iranian authorities are brutally suppressing demonstrations, resulting in over 600 deaths.
Mass protests in Iran erupted on December 28, 2025, amid a deep economic crisis, a sharp decline in the national currency, and rising inflation. According to reports received before the internet shutdown, the wave of protests spread to about 120 cities across the country. The authorities responded to the protests with force, using weapons to suppress the unrest.
According to Reuters, citing an unnamed official, the death toll may reach 2,000 people. Estimates of the number of arrests exceed 10,000 individuals.