Live: Son of ousted shah says 'prepared to return to Iran' at first opportunity

[BaronChocula]

Source: France 24

The US-based son of Iran's ousted shah Reza Pahlavi said Sunday he is prepared to return to the country and lead a transition to a democratic government. As new protests took place in Iran overnight from Saturday to Sunday, a new report from the NGO Iran Human Rights puts the death toll at least 192.

Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20260111-live-iran-death-toll-rises-as-protesters-defy-crackdown

[pfitz59]

1. Nope. Not going to happen.

No more Shahs. No more SAVAK. No more Ayatollahs. Let the people vote.

[Igel]

5. Won't happen overnight.

Same problem as in Venezuela. And Russia. And Belorus'. And PRC.

When you imprison, exile, or kill all the opposition, kicking out the top tier and saying, "Elections in 21 days, candidacy petitions due in 7!" is lunacy. Moreover, just because the top tier is gone doesn't mean that loyal foot soldiers and mid-tier folkx wouldn't love to restore the old order in which they believed or which gave them their jobs, and do that by creating such chaos that people want order, any order, more than liberty. Look at Russia under Yeltsin. It's a commonplace to say that Putin restored things, but all the trendlines were good--unemployment, inflation, corruption, violence--for a couple of years prior to the 20000 election. Problem is, the improvement was less felt than the on-going disruption. (We see the same effect when looking at urban violence--violent crime may go way down, but the news doesn't pro-rate even large decreases when there's still more than enough violence to fill the newscast. Or unemployment. Or inflation.)

"Give me liberty or give me death" is the slogan of the brave few. The vast majority are usually of the "Give me freedom, but never at the expense of my life, the life of somebody I know, my income, my property, my pets ... maybe my favorite tv show!" persuasion.

And even if there is a democratic transition--whatever the hell that means--it's easy (so the allusions) goes to boil a frog. Even the dystopia that Venezuela was reaching in end-stage-Chavez and which blossomed like a corpse flower under Maduro was slow and incremental and at each stage some protested and were shut up until finally the blanket of oppression was so thorough that 7-8 million leaving was okay because to stay would lead to a lot of death and unpleasantness.

[iemanja]

2. That sounds helpful.

Though I'm sure Trump would love it.

[Sneederbunk]

3. Deja vu all over again.

[Scrivener7]

4. The shah was no bargain. Better than the Khomeini, but no bargain.

[rollin74]

6. Pahlavi seems to be the most likely leader to step in

when the current regime is finally forced from power

He seems to have significant support amongst the protesters and would be preferable to the brutal theocracy they have suffered under for decades.

Ultimately it will be up to the Iranian people to determine their future. Hopefully they will have the opportunity to do so in the near future

[SamuelTheThird]

11. What's the source for his having significant support?

Not saying it's untrue, just wondering how this is quantified

[newdeal2]

13. I have serious doubts

He is the choice of some Iranians living here, probably Donald, and Israel.

In fact, he may be a terrible choice - I have a bad feeling of lots of corruption and brute force.

[JI7]

33. Listen to what all the Iranians that support the protests are saying

Look at their social media and how they post about the Pahlavis . Almost all of them support bringing him back but many do support elections after.

[SamuelTheThird]

38. Ok well it's probably presumptuous for me to weigh in

But it was a police state before it became a theocratic police state

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. It's been 48 years

Where does this sense of entitlement come from?

[GJGCA]

16. Eppur si muove

any port in a storm?

[Thomas Hurt]

30. Malignant narcissism and thinking the divine right of kings applies to them....

[maxsolomon]

37. Dieu et mon droigt

The entitlement of all monarchists

[Deep State Witch]

8. The Plan Is

Supposedly, for Reza Shah to step in as an interim leader until elections are held. He was educated in the US, and has lived here ever since the overthrow. One would think that he had a plan in place for his eventual return.

They can make him Shah again, as long as he guarantees freedom of religion, women's rights, and no more SAVAK and secret detention facilities.

[rampartd]

26. "freedom of religion, women's rights, and no more SAVAK and secret detention facilities"

i can imagine trump demanding megachurch christianity, with women on lock down and brutal privatized prisons

[Deep State Witch]

34. Well, That's What They Had

Under the Islamic Republic.

[rampartd]

35. and it ain't gonna change just by installing pahlavi

[moniss]

9. So the son of the American puppet who was

a brutally repressive dictator wants the US and Israel to move him in to power. Remember the phrase "we will be greeted as liberators"?
Remember how that went?

[Martin68]

10. Frankly, I think it is a terrible idea to replace the Islamic state with a kingdom. That certainly isn't the

only option.

[Sneederbunk]

15. We used to have a democratic state, but now a kingdom.

[Martin68]

29. We can thank the CIA for that.

[JI7]

32. What's the other option ? And most say the Shah will be in a transitional role

with elections to come after. They need something before they hold elections.

[Buzz cook]

12. Fuck that.

How anout returning the millions in stolen money you've been living on. And then shutting the fuck up.

[EX500rider]

14. I have noticed many of the protestors waving the old regimes flag:

[Xolodno]

17. Please don't.

My wife's family left Iran due to his father.

[niyad]

18. JFC. .anybody remember what happened when the cia had the DEMOCRATICALLY-

elected leader of Iran, Mossadegh, removed, and installed reza's brutal dad?

[slightlv]

19. I do... and it's been as screwed up for the people and the world, in general,

ever since. NOTHING good happens with "regime change" unless it comes from the people, themselves. I say this, thinking of how we regime change trump without free and fair elections here. We are the Iranian people, and we women will identify more than most with our sisters there.

[niyad]

20. Sadly, you are absolutely correct.

[NotHardly]

21. Delusional arse-wipe.

I'm sure he would do his daddy proud and nothing for the people.

[BidenRocks]

22. Fire and Gas!

What could possibly go right?

[cliffside]

23. Deposed Shah's Son Hopes Trump Will Put Iran Regime 'Down for Good'

Gift link

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/world/europe/iran-protests-shah-son-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.D1A.CDD_.JWHZxpnD0GQL&smid=url-share

"... Addressing Mr. Trump directly, Mr. Pahlavi said: “They know that you’re not going to throw them under the bus, as has happened before. This is why they are empowered — by the hope that you have their back.”

... Asked directly during the interview by Maria Bartiromo whether he wanted U.S. forces to “take out Khamenei,” Mr. Pahlavi said “the people of Iran have responded and reacted positively to a promise of intervention.”

... A plunge in the value of Iran’s currency on Dec. 28 incited the current protests, which quickly grew into broader calls for the ouster of Mr. Khamenei. Many protesters have also begun voicing support for the Pahlavis, with chants of “long live the shah.”

On Thursday, Mr. Pahlavi and members of several activist groups issued calls for mass protests, helping accelerate the movement. Huge crowds have taken to the streets of large metropolises and marginalized rural provinces alike..."

[Old Crank]

24. I was wondering when that would come up.

Sounds like something Trump would endorse.

[Crowman2009]

25. From what I've witnessed on the websites of various Iranian pro-democracy groups, they hate the Pahlavi family..

...and don't want them to return! I would say they hate them just as much as the Ayatollahs, if not more.

[Polybius]

27. Good to hear!

It will be a great improvement (especially for women) over the regime that's currently in charge.

[JCMach1]

28. Smells like Trump

[JI7]

31. The people of Iran want him . It's up to them . They know what the old Shah was and what the Ayatollahs are and prefer

the Shah. They can get rid of him also if they are not happy with him .

[Bengus81]

36. CIA going to install you like they did your POS dictator father?