Neither Egypt nor US recognizes new Shah

President Anwar Sadat pledged that as long as he lived, the family of the former Shah of Iran would have sanctuary in Egypt. But he said Prince Reza's proclamation on his 20th birthday that he was now shah did not alter Egypt's recognition of Iran's Islamic revolution, nor did it mean that Egypt wanted to overthrow the government of Ayatollah Khomeini.

The US State Department, too, has refused to recognize Crown Prince Reza's claim to the throne of Iran.

"Our position is clear," spokesman John Trattner said. "We have accepted the results of the April 1979 Iranian referendum and consider the present government of Iran the legally constituted government of Iran."