Youngest son of former shah of Iran commits suicide

The youngest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, last shah of Iran, committed suicide after grieving for years over the plight of his family and country, his brother said Tuesday, dpa reported.

Alireza Pahlavi, 44, took his own life overnight Monday in his home in Boston, older brother Reza Pahlavi said in a statement posted on his website.

"It is with immense grief that we would like to inform our compatriots of the passing away of Prince Alireza Pahlavi," Pahlavi said.

"Like millions of young Iranians, he, too, was deeply disturbed by all the ills fallen upon his beloved homeland, as well as carrying the burden of losing a father and a sister," the statement said.

Mohammed Reza Pahlavi ruled Iran until the 1979 revolution, in which he was forced into exile and the Islamic Republic was founded. He died of cancer in Egypt in 1980.

The shah's family has continued to speak out against the current government in Iran.


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