Shah’s son speaks in Newport hotel

Reza Pahlavi II, the former crown prince of Iran and son of the late shah of Iran, is scheduled to give a speech in Newport Beach tonight about democracy, human rights and political developments in his native Iran. The event at the Fairmont Newport Beach hotel is being hosted by the World Affairs Council of Orange County.

Pahlavi’s father presided over a U.S.-backed regime reputed for its lavish spending and autocratic rule that was deposed by the 1979 Iranian Revolution. July 27 will mark the 30th anniversary of the shah’s death in exile in Egypt. The shah’s overthrow gave way to the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose governments have been known as repressive.

Pahlavi, 49, has a political science degree from USC and lives in the United States with his wife, Yasmine Etemad Amini, and their three daughters, according to a release from the World Affairs Council.

The Fairmont is at 4500 MacArthur Blvd. The 7:45 p.m. program will follow a reception at 6 p.m. and a dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $55 for World Affairs Council members, $70 for non-members and $40 for students. To register for the event, go to https://www.worldaffairscouncil.org. The council’s phone number is (949) 253-5751.

Imran Vittachi