2 July , 2025
Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus of Natural Resources, Tehran University
The situation in Iran is at a critical juncture. Popular discontent and resistance are on the rise. The regime is weaker than ever, facing an existential threat to its survival. Amid this turmoil, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah, presents himself as the self-proclaimed leader of the opposition. His father’s 37-year rule was marked by an iron fist, rampant corruption, widespread torture, and executions.
Direct Line of Communication with the Revolutionary Guards
On 29 June 2025, Pahlavi announced the launch of a secure communication channel for members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and intelligence ministry personnel inside Iran who wish to join his team. The sign-up form asks respondents to identify themselves and to select the institution in which they work:
Translation:
In which entity or organisation do you work?
- Army
- Ministry of Intelligence and Security
- Police (State Security Forces)
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
- Basij
- Other government institutions
- Non-governmental work
Reza Pahlavi’s recent initiative to entice members of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry and the Revolutionary Guards to join his ‘one-man show’ has been met with significant criticism and ridicule. While many Iranians inside the country and across the diaspora have dismissed this gambit as a publicity stunt, viewing it as a desperate and pathetic attempt to gain relevance given his dearth of support within Iran, the initiative has, nevertheless, caused deep concern among ordinary Iranians at home and abroad. This apprehension is particularly acute given the documented role of these organizations in the torture and murder of dissidents and protesters.
Concerns are rising that this project might be indirectly linked to the Iranian regime, potentially serving as a way to infiltrate the Iranian diaspora and further its activities abroad. Reza Pahlavi has publicly stated his support for collaborating and engaging individuals he claims have severed ties with the IRGC, an organization designated as terrorist by the U.S. This stance has only amplified the unease, leaving many to question the true intentions and potential repercussions of such as initiative.
In a 2018 interview, Pahlavi told Iran International TV: “I have bilateral contacts with the Army, the IRGC and the Basij, and we communicate.”
In 2016, speaking on BBC Persian TV, Pahlavi claimed the IRGC “could have a role” even after the current regime falls. In 2017, he remarked on VOA Farsi language TV: “Are all the Revolutionary Guards terrorists? No. … I say to them, you have fought against the Iraqi army for Iran, and you have bled for Iran. You are part of the Iranian people”.
Authoritarian behavior
Reza Pahlavi calls himself the “leader” and claims he has accepted the leadership role in the Iranian people’s struggle against the regime, as well as for a transitional period, without specifying who has anointed him to this position. Some supporters go further, proclaiming, “King Reza Pahlavi is the God of every Iranian.” The attitude of this self-proclaimed leader suggests an authoritarian mindset. He has repeatedly expressed nostalgia for his father’s dictatorship.
The Shah’s regime, marked by censorship and torture via the SAVAK, banned all political parties except his own in 1975, leading to thousands of political prisoners. The Iranian people, who overthrew the monarchy in 1979, have made it clear they do not wish to return to a system where power is concentrated in one individual or family. During the 2022 protests, Iranians explicitly rejected both the current regime and restoring the monarchy. Chants such as “Down with the Oppressor, be it the Shah or the [Supreme] Leader” resonated across the country, reflecting a broad-based demand for democracy and a repudiation of any form of autocracy.[1]
Ties to SAVAK and Past Atrocities
Pahlavi’s association with former SAVAK officials, the Shah’s secret police infamous for human rights abuses, raises serious concerns. SAVAK was responsible for torture, extrajudicial killings, and suppressing dissent, with estimates of thousands of political prisoners. At a 2023 Munich rally organized by Pahlavi’s supporters, posters of Parviz Sabeti, a former SAVAK deputy chief, were displayed with the slogan “Nightmare of future terrorists,” glorifying his role. Pahlavi’s links to a senior official of this repressive apparatus, who according to media reports acted as his advisor for a while, suggest a tolerance for the authoritarian tactics of his father’s era.
Neo-Fascist Tendencies
Reza Pahlavi’s supporters often engage in activities associated with neo-fascists who romanticize dictatorship and sneer at democratic values. Their discourse — centered on “strong leadership,” contempt for pluralism, and royal restoration — betrays their true aims.
They seek to resurrect a system the Iranian people have already overthrown. Far from opposing the regime, they mimic its authoritarian instincts. Any democratic movement that associates with such elements will be discredited, its moral clarity blurred, and its mission tainted.
On social media, Pahlavi’s supporters are known to attack anyone who calls for the establishment of a democratic republic in Iran, often using sexual slurs and even death threats to silence opponents. Their attacks often take place in coordination with the current regime’s cyber army. A number of Pahlavi’s closest associates were formerly part of the current regime. Some are believed to maintain their contact with the regime’s Intelligence Ministry.
Lack of Grassroots Support
True political change in Iran will not be dictated from exile; it will be driven by the networks of activists, students, workers, and women who are risking their lives on the streets. Reza Pahlavi lacks any organized, grassroots support within Iran. Many in the Iranian diaspora underscore this point, noting that his operation is really a ‘one-man show’ and all about himself.
Pahlavi’s strategy is based on an illusion of obtaining power with the help of the IRGC and foreign powers. This strategy, however, is all but guaranteed to fail given the extreme animosity that exists for anyone associated with the current regime among the Iranian population. In short, Iranians would never tolerate a new regime whose members are the rank-and-file and old guard of the mullahs’ regime that had been suppressing them for decades. The Pahlavi dynasty’s historical dependence on foreign powers has fueled strong resentment among many Iranians toward Reza Pahlavi. His grandfather, Reza Shah, was brought to power by the British in 1921 and was deposed by the British 1941 due to his alignment with Nazi Germany, after which his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was installed as the Shah. In 1953, Mohammad Reza was briefly forced to flee Iran amid popular unrest but a CIA-MI6 coup, in collusion with the clergy, restored him to the throne.
Conclusion
Reza Pahlavi’s monarchist aspirations, ties to SAVAK figures, willingness to engage with the Revolutionary Guards, and absence of grassroots support inside Iran make him an unsuitable candidate for a democratic alternative to the mullahs’ regime. His vision reflects a return to past authoritarianism rather than a path toward the democratic future Iranians deserve.
The 1979 revolution was not a call for theocracy, nor was it a cry for monarchy. It was a mass rejection of both. It was the birth of a people’s demand for justice, liberty, and sovereignty. That struggle did not end with Khomeini’s betrayal. It continues today in the resistance against both the clerical dictatorship and any attempt to reinstate neofascist monarchism. The future of Iran lies not in the shadow of old thrones or turbaned tyrants. It lies in the hands of the Iranian people — those who fight for democracy, for human rights, and for a secular republic. Any path forward must reject both the mullahs’ oppression and the Shah’s legacy. To get close to either is to walk back into darkness.
[1] Students in Iran’s universities chant: Down with the Oppressor, Be it the Shah or the Supreme Leader