The White House envoy, Steve Witkoff, met in secret with the exiled crown prince of Iran.

Steve Witkoff, the envoy of the White House, had a secret meeting with the former crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, to discuss the protests taking place in Iran. This was the first meeting of this level between the Iranian opposition and the Trump administration since the protests began 15 days ago. Pahlavi, who aspires to become a transitional leader in the event of the fall of the Tehran regime, called for the Trump administration's intervention in support of the protests. During the meeting, American officials discussed response options to the massive repression in Iran, estimating that at least 5,000 protesters have been killed. Although initially the Trump administration did not consider Pahlavi an important political actor, his name has begun to be chanted by protesters, suggesting an increase in his influence. Analysts emphasize that Pahlavi could provide a unifying point for protesters, given the nostalgia for a pre-revolutionary era. Although his support is not universal, he remains a significant figure in the current context of the protests in Iran.