The story: Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last monarch, have sought to garner support for him as an opposition leader. However, the campaign has its detractors among critics of the Islamic Republic, who view support for Pahlavi as backing a return to the authoritarian monarchy that was overthrown in 1979. This comes as the former crown prince is appearing at the Munich Security Conference, where no Iranian officials have been invited this year.

The coverage: Supporters of Pahlavi, who is based in the US, launched the campaign shortly after his interview with the London-based Manoto TV.

• Pahlavi said in the Jan. 16 interview that he was ready to play a role during a "transition" period following the fall of the Islamic Republic.
  
  
• Riveted by his comments, Pahlavi's supporters on Twitter launched a hashtag naming the former crown prince as their "representative."
  
  
• Pahlavi on Jan. 21 acknowledged the support and vowed to...