10 Signals Why Reza Pahlavi is the Wrong Leader for Iran



10 Signals Why Reza Pahlavi is the Wrong Leader for Iran

10 s INTRO Right now, the European Parliament is rolling out the red carpet by officially inviting Reza Pahlavi to Brussels—treating him like the credible face of a new Iran. Meanwhile, their list of eight does not include the NCRI, the operational resistance group actually inside Iran. While that entire list is a question mark, let's look at the man who tops it—because the signals are screaming in plain sight. Here are 10 signals why Reza Pahlavi is the wrong leader for Iran.

1. A Lifelong Disconnect from the Iranian People

From the age of 17, he has lived over 50 years in the United States. He is out of touch with the country he wants to lead and the sufferings of Iran’s people, who have lived through unbearable hardship and trauma we cannot even imagine. While other world leaders have lived in the U.S., few have done so for practically their entire adult lives into their senior years. The hierarchy of the NCRI, on the other hand, enlists those who have suffered at the hands of Pahlavi’s father’s policies or the Mullahs.

2. Lack of U.S. Presidential Vetting

Reza Pahlavi was just dismissed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who clearly stated on March 3rd that he did not consider Pahlavi a possibility. This speaks volumes. It means he has not been vetted by the President of the United States. While the reasons remain private, they are significant, or he would have been endorsed. This also provides another example of the EU and US taking diametrically opposing positions in foreign policy.

3. Autocratic Family Roots and the Legacy of the SAVAK

Reza Pahlavi’s family roots are autocratic. His grandfather is remembered as "Reza the Bully," and his father, the Shah, famously stated in the 1970s that Iranians were "not ready for democracy" and must be led with an "Iron Fist." His father also stated that enemies should be dealt with ruthlessly. According to the Free Iran Scholars Network, Pahlavi has refused to denounce the actions of the SAVAK.

4. The Shadow of Evin Prison

Pahlavi expects to go back and rule a country where his father built Evin Prison in 1972. It was there that the horrific atrocities began—so much so that in 1976, Amnesty International reported that the Shah’s regime was among the world’s worst human rights violators. In ancient times, when a ruler was eliminated, so were his sons, as it was viewed that there was a high probability that he would follow in his father’s footsteps, seek revenge on behalf of his father, or seek to correct the history of their father’s downfall.

5. Absolute Power in the Iran Prosperity Project (IPP)

Reza Pahlavi’s Iran Prosperity Project (IPP), Chapter 3, sets up absolute power. While the plan is misleading with democratic language, this plan says that for the first six months to three years after the government falls, Reza Pahlavi is the boss of everything. They call him the "Leader of the National Uprising." Here is how that works in real life:

  • He Picks the Players: Usually, in a democracy, different people are in charge of laws, running the country, and being judges. In Chapter 3, Pahlavi picks the people for all three groups.

  • He Can Fire Anyone: If he doesn't like how a judge acts or what a lawmaker says, he can fire them. There is no one above him to say "no."

  • The "Veto" Power: If the new temporary government makes a rule he doesn't like, he can just cancel it.

6. The Never-Ending Emergency Plan

Section 3, Paragraph 17 of his IPP is even more alarming as it creates a never-ending emergency plan. It says if things still feel "unstable," the Leader can just keep extending his power. It can go from six months to 36 months—or even longer. Since he is the one who decides if it’s stable, he basically decides how long he stays the absolute boss. It should be noted here that the Lord Acton doctrine of “absolute power corrupts absolutely” should be a warning here.

7. Support Base vs. Operational Resistance

Pahlavi has only some groups within Iran—the monarchists—and an educated guess is this group is most likely those who will get leading positions in his government or who were never victimized by his father’s regime and remembered the better times. On the flip side, the NCRI’s resistance units are in 31 provinces right now. This is the rival group to the monarchists. They also have a 180-day plan, but it is for a true democracy. Many within their resistance were victims of his father’s regime and/or the Mullahs. Their group is represented throughout Iran, while Pahlavi has no units—what he has instead is a stellar media campaign.

8. The IRGC and the Risk of a Future Coup

Pahlavi’s plan intends to keep mid-level IRGC members to supposedly prevent a "Syrian-style collapse," while the NCRI intends to fully dissolve the IRGC. Frankly, this is just plain sketchy and an open door to a future coup d’état.

9. The Flaws of the "Cyrus Accords"

Pahlavi’s economic plan—which uses the term Cyrus Accords—depicts a change of Biblical scale in the lineage of Cyrus the Great. But it is a flawed policy that will only harm Iran and the nations it leagues with. It is essentially a "piggybacking" strategy, attempting to use Israel’s reputation and success to bypass the fact that he hasn't earned the trust of the Iranian people or the international community.

10. The International Myth of the "Baby Shah"

Pahlavi is campaigning on an international myth: that because the Shah had good relations with the U.S. and Israel, and he allowed women’s rights, he is a good fit for the Western world. In reality, it was his father's rule that paved the way for the Clerics in the first place and handed them Evin Prison as a gift. Reza Pahlavi is "Baby Shah."

Conclusion: The EU’s Strategic Contradiction

It is odd that the EU—formed by the ECSC in an effort to contain Germany—would not take a more careful approach with Iran. By endorsing Pahlavi, they also endorse his Cyrus Accords, which is a "big bang" approach with many black holes. It’s a slap in the face to the victims of Iran’s terror both under the Shah and the Clerics. It fails to leave in the hands of the Iranian people what should entirely be their decision, jumping instead to endorse a candidate who signals many warnings and revictimizes the victims.

Moreover, it’s an EU contradiction that the EU just celebrated International Women’s Day and did not invite Maryam Rajavi to speak. She is poised to be the next president of Iran and has led the resistance for over 40 years. She lost one sister to the Shah's SAVAK and another to the current regime's executioners while she was four months pregnant, suffering brutal torture. In my opinion, Maryam Rajavi would be the poetic end of a regime renowned for its disregard of women and would be the rightful architect for Iran's new beginning.