Trump's envoy secretly met Iran's exiled crown prince

Steve Witkoff, an envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, held a weekend meeting with Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of Iran’s former monarch, Axios reported Tuesday.

Steve Witkoff's reported meeting with Pahlavi was the first contact since nationwide protests erupted in Iran.

The frequent mention of Pahlavi's name during recent protests surprised the U.S. administration, an American official told Axios.

Pahlavi has recently been making frequent appearances in American media. However, Trump declined to endorse him during an interview last week.

The Pahlavi dynasty ruled Iran from 1925 until the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The deposed shah died in Egypt in 1980.