The pieces of the global geopolitical chessboard are being rearranged at a dizzying pace, and there are no shortage of figures who know that there are gains to be made in troubled waters. For instance, Prince Reza Pahlavi (64 years old) is more determined than ever, ready to seize perhaps his last opportunity to reclaim the Peacock Throne, feeling that the stars have aligned to favor his goal or, at the very least, to push towards the fall of the ayatollah regime in Iran.
And so, just a few days after the authorities in Tehran celebrated the 46th anniversary of the overthrow of the last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, his heir delivered a historic speech this week at the Summit for Human Rights and Democracy held in Geneva, where he declared that he is "stepping forward to lead the transition movement" towards democracy in his homeland, thus becoming the face of the opposition to the Islamic Republic. Pahlavi urged the international community to act and called on G-20 members to apply "maximum pressure" on Tehran.
"The regime is weaker than ever. Its axis of resistance has been dismantled, and its internal legitimacy has evaporated. Now is the time to act. Therefore, at the request of my fellow Iranians, I step forward to lead this transition movement. Not for myself, not for a position of power, but to respond to the call and fulfill my duty as a patriot," emphasized the son of Empress Farah Diba, who is well aware, however, of one of the major issues of the Iranian opposition in the diaspora, its division. At least half of the groups, mainly in Europe and the US, do not support the factions loyal to the Pahlavi dynasty.
But the moment smiles upon the Persian heir. With the return of Donald Trump to the White House and his excellent contacts with the Republican Administration, coupled with the overt support from the Israeli Government of Benjamin Netanyahu, Reza Pahlavi is emboldened. The US sees the change in Tehran as one of its declared objectives, especially now that from Tel Aviv, the weakness of the ayatollahs is seen as the perfect opportunity to finally defeat their fiercest enemy.
Not coincidentally, Reza Pahlavi was one of the first global leaders to congratulate Donald Trump on his inauguration on January 20. For the imperial prince, it was not merely a gesture of courtesy, but a declaration of deep and sincere satisfaction for his return to power. Having been based in the United States practically since the exile of the entire Shah's family in 1979, Reza Pahlavi has always had good contacts in the various presidential administrations, but not all have provided the desired feedback. For instance, during the tenure of the Democrat Biden, with Antony Blinken as Secretary of State, the Persian throne aspirant never felt that his voice resonated in the White House.
Quite the opposite with Trump, with whom Reza Pahlavi had a close relationship during his first term. Furthermore, the prince has a great rapport with the current Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who strongly supports the Iranian monarchists' views.
Reza Pahlavi savors the moment as his messages resonate in the current Oval Office. The prince emphasizes that he does not advocate for the restoration of the monarchy, as that is something that the Iranian people would have to decide, but rather he fights to end tyranny in his homeland. His plan is based on five pillars: maximizing support for internal resistance, applying maximum international pressure on the ayatollahs, mobilizing the Iranian diaspora, facilitating defections within the regime's ranks, and outlining a political and economic roadmap for a post-regime Iran.
The Shah's son has always had a direct line to the political, business, and media elite in the US. However, in recent years, especially during Trump's previous term, organizations like Iranian Americans for Liberty have emerged, dedicated to lobbying for a change in strategy towards Iran and advocating for the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. These and other platforms are also closely linked to Israeli conservative parties. Founders of groups like Iran Revival - all sharing the same ideology - have made donations in recent campaigns to Republican candidates, as reported by US media outlets, and the prince himself supported a candidate from Trump's party like Joe Kaufman last summer while gathering support for Congress.
The war in the Middle East unleashed after the brutal Hamas attacks on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, has completely altered the fragile regional status quo. The first direct clash between Israel and Iran last year, which threatened to escalate the conflict to unforeseen levels, was the first occasion where Prince Reza saw an opportunity to topple the regime that overthrew his father and ended the ancient Persian monarchy. During those days, the heir intensified his diplomatic and media offensive to fuel the flame against Tehran's theocracy. "I believe it is important for the world to realize that the only obstacle to peace, stability, and a better future lies in that regime. It is time for the world to finally decide to support the Iranian people to overthrow it and put an end to all this madness," he demanded unequivocally.
However, as mentioned, the Iranian opposition in the diaspora is deeply divided. And the potential restoration of the Monarchy in ancient Persia if the nation ever regains democracy would certainly not be straightforward. On one hand, for the majority of the almost 90 million Iranians living in the country, it is an institution with a very bad reputation - due to the memories of the atrocities committed under the Shah's dictatorial regime, even though rights and freedoms were in place, such as those enjoyed by women; but mainly due to the endless propaganda against the ayatollah regime. On the other hand, opposition organizations in exile as strong as the National Council of Resistance of Iran have been fighting against both the dictatorship of the mullahs and any aspiration for the throne's rehabilitation.
In this regard, on February 8, Paris was the scene of a demonstration of Iranians that brought together about 10,000 people under the slogan "No to monarchy, no to theocracy, yes to a democratic republic!"
Convincing many of his compatriots that, in the 21st century, in ancient Persia, there could be a crowned democracy allowing Iranians to live finally without the yoke of any dictatorship will not be easy for Reza Pahlavi. But for now, the fact that his leadership gains ground in the Oval Office is very good news for the son so desired by the Shah, whom only the beautiful Farah could give in a third marriage.