Growing up in the opulence of the Iranian court, Abdolreza had access to the best education available. In his early years, he attended primary and preparatory schools in Tehran. Recognizing the importance of Western education, Reza Shah sent Abdolreza and his elder half-brother, Mohammad Reza, to the prestigious Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland—a boarding school known for grooming European royals and aristocrats.
The years in Switzerland exposed Abdolreza to a cosmopolitan environment that contrasted sharply with the more traditional Iranian culture. It was here that he began to grasp the scope of global affairs and modern education. However, the brothers’ time abroad was cut short by Reza Shah’s concerns over global instability, and they returned to Iran in 1936.
Upon his return, Abdolreza continued his military education at the National Military Academy and the Officers’ College in Tehran, in accordance with his father’s vision of instilling discipline and a sense of duty in his sons. Reza Shah emphasized military values and often believed that a strong nation required strong soldiers—and he intended his sons to lead by example.
