The exiled son of the late Shah of Iran was honored on Tuesday with the Nixon Foundation’s Architect of Peace Award.

The prestigious award acknowledges Reza Pahlavi’s persistent advocacy for human rights and peaceful transformation in Iran. Accompanied by his wife Yasmine Pahlavi, the prince outlined his vision for Iran’s future.

“There is no one I stand more proudly side by side with than the people of Iran today. And I will stand with them until victory,” Pahlavi declared during his acceptance speech. “I will work tirelessly to oversee and ensure that Iran undergoes a peaceful and secure transition to a secular democracy—one where every citizen can live as equals, free from any form of discrimination.”

Born in Tehran on October 31, 1960, Reza Pahlavi is the eldest son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and former Empress Farah Diba. As Crown Prince, he was formally invested with the title Prince of Iran at age six in a lavish ceremony at the Golestan Palace.

He was just 17 and attending a military training program in Texas when the 1979 Islamic Revolution forced his family into exile. After the Shah’s departure, the young prince finished his education in the United States, earning a political science degree from the University of Southern California. He went on to complete jet fighter pilot training at the US  Air Force Training Program at Reese Air Force Base.

Following his father’s death in 1980, Pahlavi technically became the Shah of Iran in exile at age 20, though he has chosen to continue use the title, Prince.

In a moving tribute, Pahlavi honored the hundreds of protesters killed by security forces and those executed by the regime since 2022. He praised ordinary Iranians as the “real architects of peace,” recognizing their ongoing sacrifices in the pursuit of freedom.

“Despite everything, they continue to rise, they continue to fight for the realization of our great civilization,” he said, referring to the sustained protest movement that has challenged the Islamic Republic’s authority.

Addressing the escalating regional tensions, Pahlavi drew a clear distinction between the Iranian people and the regime’s tyrannical actions.

“This is the war of a dictator, Ali Khamenei, who thrives on division and conflict,” he stated. “The Iranian people do not seek war. They seek peace, security, and a future free from tyranny.”

Looking toward the future, Pahlavi expressed optimism about Iran’s trajectory, stating “We are nearing the day when the Iranian people will once again take their rightful place in the world—a free, democratic, and peaceful Iran. This is the future we seek. This is the future we will achieve.”

The Nixon Foundation’s Architect of Peace Award has previously honored notable leaders including former Presidents Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush, as well as distinguished public servants like Henry Kissinger, Mike Pompeo, and Senators Elizabeth Dole, Joe Lieberman, and John McCain.