18.09C Vancouver 18.09C VancouverAug 20, 2026 2:07 PM - Connect Newsroom - Ramandeep Kaur with files from The Canadian Press
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has invited Iran’s former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to visit Canada and said he plans to meet with him virtually to discuss democracy and the safety of the Iranian diaspora.
Speaking at a Persian Town Hall in British Columbia on Aug. 15, Poilievre said Canadians and foreign governments should not decide who leads Iran, but stressed that the country should ultimately be free and democratic and governed by the Iranian people.
Pahlavi, 65, is the son of Iran’s former Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whose rule ended with the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He now lives in the Washington, D.C., area and has presented himself as a potential figure to help lead Iran through a transition toward democratic elections.
Poilievre’s invitation was met with loud applause from attendees. However, he did not endorse Pahlavi as Iran’s future leader.
Earlier this year, former Ontario MPP Goldie Ghamari described Pahlavi in a petition tabled in the House of Commons as a democratic and unifying figure who could play a role during Iran’s transition period.
