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U.S. Envoy Held Secret Talks With Iran’s Exiled Crown Prince During Widening Protests

The covert outreach signals stepped-up U.S. engagement during European sanctions planning.

Overview

  • A senior U.S. official says envoy Steve Witkoff met exiled prince Reza Pahlavi over the weekend, the first high-level contact since the unrest began.
  • The White House reviewed response options on Tuesday, and President Trump urged Iranians to keep protesting and to take over government institutions.
  • EU officials summoned Iran’s ambassador in Brussels and moved to prepare additional sanctions over the crackdown.
  • Rights groups and officials report sharply divergent death tolls under communications blackouts, including an Israeli assessment of at least 5,000 killed and activist tallies of about 2,000.
  • Pahlavi has sought a role as a potential transitional figure as protests continue across multiple cities.