Shah's son found dead in Boston

The youngest son of the late shah of Iran has apparently committed suicide at his home in the United States.

Police in Boston found a man dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the city's South End area. While there has been no official confirmation of his identity, an official said the man was Alireza Pahlavi, 44.

His elder brother, Reza Pahlavi, later wrote on his website: "It is with immense grief that we would like to inform our compatriots of the passing away of Prince Alireza Pahlavi."

He said his brother 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 in his young life."

Former Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic revolution. He died in Egypt in 1980. In June 2001, Alireza's sister Leila was found dead in a London hotel room from an overdose of barbiturates.

Reza added that his brother had "struggled for years to overcome his sorrow".