Reza Pahlavi's reception in Sweden is cool, with only the Christian Democrats and Sweden Democrats welcoming him, according to reports. He is invited by the Christian Democrats (KD) and Sweden Democrats (SD) parliamentary groups, an official invitation that has raised internal criticism within the bourgeois parties, with questions about why a government party is inviting the son of a deposed dictator. Pahlavi hopes to get Swedish politicians more engaged in the war against the Iranian regime during his visit to Sweden, sources indicate.
Security preparations for the visit are extensive, with up to 170 police officers deployed, a threat level compared to that of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit. Pahlavi landed at Arlanda on Sunday morning and is escorted by a police convoy and helicopter. Police have granted permits for three demonstrations in Stockholm, with organizers expecting over 12,000 participants.
According to Reza Pahlavi, Sweden is directly threatened by the Iranian regime.
Parliament is closed to visitors on Sunday due to preparations for Pahlavi's visit, which is described as unusual. Police say Pahlavi will receive a police escort, which may affect traffic briefly, but no street closures are planned. These security measures align with warnings from Säpo, Sweden's security service, which has determined that the Iranian regime operates in Sweden through criminal proxies and supplies drones to Russia for the war against Ukraine.
Säpo states there is a serious security situation in Sweden, with a pronounced threat that Sweden could be used as an arena, related to events in the Middle East. Reza Pahlavi is the eldest son of Iran's overthrown shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who ruled with an iron fist until being overthrown in 1979. S.
Pahlavi says Sweden cannot stand outside this conflict.
since. Today, he is one of the most prominent critics of the current regime in exile. S.
and has been part of the Iranian opposition for decades, advocating non-violent resistance and secular democracy. His leadership is controversial because his family's rule was an authoritarian monarchy according to many historians, with limited political opposition and restricted press and freedom of expression. The former security service SAVAK has been accused of imprisoning and torturing dissidents.
Pahlavi suggests Sweden can take measures without becoming a party to a military conflict, such as expelling Iranian diplomats and supporting the Iranian diaspora.
Among Swedish Iranians, there are mixed feelings about Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's rule, with some nostalgic for modernization and stability, and others remembering oppression and lack of political rights. A GAMAAN survey from September 2025 found that nearly half of respondents partly or fully support Pahlavi's leadership during a transition period. However, not all exile Iranians see Pahlavi as a unifying force; critics say he lacks support inside Iran and has not distanced himself enough from his father's authoritarian rule.
Pahlavi's political prominence has grown recently, particularly during protests in Iran. In January protests, millions took to the streets after Reza Pahlavi called for mass mobilization on January 8. Tens of thousands of people were killed in 48 hours during the regime's brutal crackdown on protesters.
His plan is to create conditions for a democratic transition within two to three years so people can choose their own path in a secular democracy.
Reza Pahlavi was highlighted as a possible future leader for Iran during protests in December. Just before his Sweden trip, Pahlavi spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas on Saturday, urging President Donald Trump not to cut a deal with Iran and instead seek regime change. S.
and Israel's decision to launch a war against Iran. S. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) revolved around President Donald Trump even in his absence.
Pahlavi claims many who opposed his father now support him, including those from the left who were most antagonistic.
There were disagreements over President Donald Trump's war with Iran at CPAC. S. right over the war in Iran were in evidence at CPAC.
S. political dynamics show complex polling on the conflict. S.
Pahlavi says he is proud of his heritage and what was achieved during his father's time, citing improvements in women's situation and other areas.
voters, Republicans support it by large margins. S. had made the right decision to attack Iran, while overall, 59% of voters opposed the initial strikes.
Recent polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows Trump risks frustrating his voters if gas prices continue rising during a prolonged war in the Middle East. President Donald Trump did not attend the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Grapevine, Texas, for the first time in nearly a decade. Trump has previously downplayed the possibility that Reza Pahlavi could play a central role in Iran if the current government were to collapse.
Reza Pahlavi warns that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a threat not only to the Iranian people but also to Sweden.
As the conflict enters its second month, at least 1,937 people in Iran have been killed, and tens of thousands more injured, with no end to the fighting in sight. Analysts have warned that the Iranian government is not likely to collapse and could emerge from the conflict more hardened than before. In Sweden, political support for Pahlavi's visit is led by specific parties.
Sweden Democrat Nima Gholam Ali Pour confirms the visit and says Pahlavi will give a 30-minute speech on his political vision. All parliament members are invited to Pahlavi's speech. Magnus Berntsson, foreign policy spokesperson for KD, says Pahlavi feels very good and is the person who can unite the opposition in Iran.
Reza Pahlavi calls on the Swedish government to do more, including expelling the Iranian ambassador and preparing to cooperate with a transitional government.
For some, Reza Pahlavi symbolizes the only hope for Iran. Several unknowns surround Pahlavi's visit and the broader conflict. It is unclear what specific measures, beyond expelling diplomats, Reza Pahlavi proposes for Sweden to support the opposition, or how the Swedish government officially responds to his calls for action against Iran.
The exact nature and evidence of the Iranian regime's threat to Sweden as cited by Säpo, along with the detailed security assessments leading to the high police deployment, have not been publicly detailed.
The Iranian regime restricts internet access to limit the organization of protests.
Reza Pahlavi says he is prepared to sacrifice his life for Iran's freedom.
Can you imagine Iran going from 'Death to America' to 'God Bless America'?
President Trump is making America great again. I intend to make Iran great again.
This regime in its entirety must go.
Trump said Reza Pahlavi 'looks like a very nice person,' but indicated he lacks popularity in Iran and that 'somebody from within, maybe, would be more appropriate.'