Reza Shah II

From Daily Escape

Reza Shah II
Shah of Iran
Reign July 27, 1980 — present
Born	October 31, 1960 (age 47)
Predecessor	Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Heir-apparent	Crown Prince Shapour
Consort	Shahbanu Yasmine Pahlavi (née Amini)
Issue	Noor Pahlavi (age 15) Iman Pahlavi (age 14) Farah Pahlavi (age 3) Shapour Pahlavi (infant)
Royal House	Pahlavi dynasty
Father	Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mother	Farah Pahlavi (née Diba)

Reza Shah II (born October 31, 1960) is the current Shah of Iran. He succeeded his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, on July 27, 1980, when the latter died of cancer.

Born in Tehran, he moved to the United States in 1978 (while still Crown Prince) to complete his higher education. He was trained as a jet fighter pilot at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas and attended Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts before graduating with a degree in political science from the University of Southern California. Upon completing his education, he returned to Iran to assume his royal duties (his mother had served as Regent in the time between his father's death and his return to Iran).

Reign

A committed reformist and pragmatist, Reza Shah II took many steps to reform the monarchy, liberalize his country, and win the support of his people. The day he ascended to the throne, he decreed that all political prisoners - except those who had committed acts of violence - were to be released and compensated immediately. He invited supports and dissidents alike from across the political spectrum to Golestan Palace, where they worked together to draft a new, democratic constitution limiting the power of the monarchy and guaranteeing individual rights. He also began a gradual liberalization of the economy, consulting with prominent economists to advise him on the best course of action.

In foreign policy, he was even more pro-Western than his father, and more overtly so as well; the day he came to power diplomatic relations were severed with all Warsaw Pact nations, due to their alleged support of Tudeh terrorists, and a strong working relationship was established with the new Reagan Administration. With American aid and political stability, he was able to improve and expand upon the development of the country begun under his father. Peace Corps volunteers were invited in, expatriate teachers were hired, and military conscripts worked on building roads, schools, hospitals, clinics, and houses. The political stability of the 1980s and the new Shah's liberal economic policies resulted in record levels of foreign investment.

The Shah has been criticized, however, for occasional human rights abuses; for example, the extrajudicial execution of twenty pro-Khomeini mullahs in 1989. There are also reports that the Iranian armed forces sometimes use torture to extract information from suspected Tudeh members and other terrorists, although he has taken steps to address and minimize such instances. It should be noted, though, that the human rights situation is on the whole very good, and has improved markedly under the current Shah; moreover, what few abuses do occur are done without his knowledge or approval.

Insurgent activity by Tudeh and Islamic fundamentalists has decreased considerably over the years, and is now confined largely to the borders with the U.S.S.R. and Afghanistan; acts of terrorism have become rare.

Iran has one of the most outspoken, opinionated, and unrestricted presses in the Middle East, and freedom of speech is widely accepted. On social policy, he is even more progressive than his father; in 2000, in spite of enormous right-wing opposition, he encouraged parliament to pass a bill formally legalizing gay marriage.

With its high HDI and powerhouse economy (on par with the Asian "tigers"), Iran no longer receives foreign aid, but its relationship with the West remains close. Iran was one of the first nations to rally to the U.S.'s aid in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and there are currently over 11,000 Iranian troops in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Family

He married Yasmine Etemad Amini (the current Shahbanu) on June 12, 1986. Yasmine is a graduate of George Washington University School of Law. They have three daughters: Noor (born April 3, 1992), Iman (born September 12, 1993) and Farah (born January 17, 2004); and on September 16, 2007, they welcomed their first son, Shapour, into the world.

His siblings include Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi (born March 12, 1963), Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi (born April 28, 1966), Princess Leila Pahlavi (born March 27, 1970), and a half-sister, Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi (born October 27, 1940).