The civil servants face a choice, Reza Pahlavi writes on social media: "to stand on the side of the people and become allies of the nation, or to choose to become accomplices to the people's murderers."
From exile in the United States, Pahlavi is stoking the wave of protests in Iran and calling for a popular uprising. How much influence he now has is uncertain, but The AP has previously reported that the demonstrations include slogans in support of the Shah - cries that in the past could have led to death sentences in Iran.
Pahlavi has been highlighted by many as a possible leader of a future Iran. The country has seen several major protest movements come and go, but after the 12-day war against Israel in June, analysts believe that the regime in Tehran is weaker than it has been in a long time.
The mullahs in Iran came to power amid popular discontent with the Pahlavi royal family. The Islamic Republic was founded in 1979 after Reza Pahlavi's father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was overthrown; Reza was 17 at the time.
