Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, called on Washington to step up its military campaign against Tehran. The 65-year-old, who has lived in exile since 1979, when an Islamic revolution toppled the US-backed monarchy and installed the current clerical regime, has long presented himself as a unifying figure for Iran’s fractured opposition, according to AFP.
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Speaking to an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Dallas, he asked, “Can you imagine Iran going from ‘death to America’ to ‘God bless America?'” — earning one of several standing ovations.
On Saturday, he told supporters he was ready to lead a democratic transition, adding: “President Trump is making America great again. I intend to make Iran great again,” to prolonged applause, AFP reported.
How are the Pahlavis trying to make Iran great again?
Reza Pahlavi outlined a vision of a radically transformed Iran by saying: “No more nuclear threats, no more terrorism, no more hostage-taking, no more closing the Strait of Hormuz, no more blackmailing the global economy.
While Iran and Oman border the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea strait itself is governed as international waters under maritime law, meaning all ships have the right to pass through it.
The main trade sea routes fall within the territorial waters of both countries, but are still subject to transit passage rules that allow free movement of vessels.
He asked his supporters to imagine an Iran that, instead of exporting terror, promotes freedom — freedom for its people, stability for its neighbors, and security and economic opportunity for the United States and the wider free world.
Strengthening the economy
Pahlvi said Iran will be a country exporting engineers instead of extremists, startups instead of suicide bombers, and energy instead of hate. Describing a free Iran as “the single greatest untapped economic opportunity of the 21st century”, he highlighted the potential of a nation of 93 million highly educated, enterprising and pro-Western citizens.
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Iran’s economy faces long-term difficulties due to international sanctions and poor domestic management. Inflation has exceeded 46% compared to January last year, and economists warn that the rial’s accelerating decline could trigger a vicious cycle of rising prices and shrinking purchasing power, the AP report said. They expect double-digit inflation to persist for years, compounding problems such as high youth unemployment.
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Over the next decade, he said, the US-Iran strategic partnership could generate more than $1 trillion for the US economy, Pahlavi noted.
Meanwhile, official data put Iran’s unemployment rate at around 7.8% in October, up from 7.2% in the same month in 2024, with youth unemployment reaching 20%. According to government statistics, roughly 24 million Iranians are between the ages of 15 and 34.
Cyrus Accords
Pahlavi envisioned a new Middle East where Iran would become Israel’s friend and the Abrahamic Accords would expand into the “Cyrus Accords”.
The Cyrus Accords is a proposed framework that envisages expanding the existing Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states, to include formal diplomatic and cooperative ties between Iran, Israel and neighboring countries after the fall of the current Iranian theocratic regime.
While current deals do not yet include Iran, some political figures and analysts have suggested a future diplomatic transformation.
Iran Prosperity Project (IPP)
Pahlavi said he and his team of experts have developed a comprehensive strategy called the Iran Prosperity Project (IPP), a road map for national reconstruction that outlines measures for the first 100 days after the collapse of the current regime, as well as long-term plans to reconstruct and stabilize the country.
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He urged the United States to “stay the course” and not provide support to a weakening regime, stressing the need to allow the Iranian people to complete the transition.
Pahlavi said: “Across Iran and throughout the diaspora, millions of Iranians have called on me to lead the transition to democracy. I have accepted this call not to serve myself but my nation and my people.”
“Iran is not Iraq”, says Pahlavi “no debaathification”
Reza Pahlavi stressed that “Iran is not Iraq” and vowed not to repeat the mistakes of the past by liquidating the country’s institutions in a way that creates chaos or a power vacuum, as was the case with the de-Ba’athification of Iraq after the 2003 invasion, a policy that sought to remove all Ba’ath Party influence from government and society but also contributed to instability and unrest there.
What was De-Ba’athification?
De-Baathisation was a policy introduced in Iraq following the 2003 US-led invasion, which aimed to remove members of the Ba’ath Party, the ruling party under Saddam Hussein, from positions of power in the government, military and public institutions.
The goal was to dismantle the structures that supported Saddam’s authoritarian regime.
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The policy initially targeted high-ranking members and officials of the Baath Party, but later expanded to include lower-level members within the bureaucracy and military. While it succeeded in removing individuals associated with the former regime, it also caused widespread unemployment among experienced administrators, military personnel, and civil servants.
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This policy created a power vacuum and weakened Iraqi institutions, which further fueled resentment among Sunnis, who were disproportionately affected, and contributed to instability and the rise of insurgent groups.
Iran’s economy is struggling and public opposition remains strong after a brutal government crackdown on protests in January, a campaign of lethal force and mass detentions that human rights groups say left thousands dead and tens of thousands arrested as authorities tried to quell widespread dissent.
(With input from agencies)
