Son of deposed shah forced to distance himself from once-dreaded Savak as some of his ‘fascistic’ supporters glorify it Reza Pahlavi, an Iranian political opposition leader in exile and the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, speaks to supporters on 23 April 2026 in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images For decades, the Savak was seen as the most hated symbol of repression that kept Iran’s last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in power – and a main driving force behind