‘Make Iran Great Again’ by startups instead of suicide bombers, says Reza Pahlavi

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, called on Washington to intensify its military campaign against Tehran. The 65-year-old, who has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled the US-backed monarchy and established the current clerical regime, has long presented himself as a unifying figure for Iran’s fragmented opposition, as reported by AFP.

Addressing the 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 Pahlavi eyeing to Make Iran Great Again?

Reza Pahlavi outlined a vision for a radically transformed Iran, saying, “No more nuclear threats; no more terrorism; no more hostage-taking; no more closing of the Strait of Hormuz; no more blackmailing of the global economy.”

While Iran and Oman both border the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea passage itself is governed as international waters under maritime law, meaning all ships have the right to transit through it.

The principal commercial shipping lanes fall within the territorial waters of both countries but are still subject to transit passage rules that allow free movement of vessels.

He asked supporters to imagine an Iran that, rather than 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 economy

Pahlvi said Iran will be a country exporting engineers instead of extremists, startups instead of suicide bombers, and energy instead of hatred. Describing a free Iran as the “single largest untapped economic opportunity of the 21st century,” he highlighted the potential of a nation of 93 million, highly educated, entrepreneurial, and pro-Western citizens.

Iran's economy has faced prolonged difficulties due to international sanctions and domestic mismanagement. Inflation has surged past 46% compared with January of last year, and economists warn that the accelerating decline of the rial could trigger a vicious cycle of rising prices and shrinking purchasing power, according to a report by AP. They expect double-digit inflation to persist for years, compounding challenges such as high youth unemployment.

Over the next decade, he said, a strategic US–Iran partnership could generate more than $1 trillion for the American economy, Pahlavi noted.

Meanwhile, official figures put Iran’s unemployment rate at about 7.8% in October, up from 7.2% in the same month of 2024, with youth unemployment reaching as high as 20%. Roughly 24 million Iranians are aged between 15 and 34, according to government statistics.

Cyrus Accords

Pahlavi envisioned a new Middle East where Iran becomes a friend of Israel and the Abraham Accords are extended into the “Cyrus Accords.”

The Cyrus Accords is a proposed framework that envisions 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 Iran’s current theocratic regime.

While the current accords do not yet include Iran, some political figures and analysts have suggested that a future diplomatic transformation.

The Iran Prosperity Project (IPP)

Pahlavi said that he along with his team of experts have developed a comprehensive strategy called the Iran Prosperity Project (IPP), a roadmap for national recovery that outlines actions for the first 100 days following the collapse of the current regime, as well as longer-term plans for reconstruction and stabilization of the country.

He urged the United States to “stay the course” and not provide support to the weakening regime, emphasizing the need to enable 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 that call not to serve myself, but to serve my nation and my people.”

“Iran is not Iraq”, Pahlvi says ‘no de-Baathification’

Reza Pahlavi has stressed that “Iran is not Iraq” and vowed not to repeat the mistakes of the past by dismantling the country’s institutions in a way that creates chaos or a power vacuum, as happened with de‑Ba’athification in 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-Ba’athification was a policy implemented in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that aimed to remove members of the Ba’ath Party, the ruling party under Saddam Hussein from positions of power in government, the military, and public institutions.

The goal was to dismantle the structures that had supported Saddam’s authoritarian regime.

The policy initially focused on senior Ba’ath Party members and officials but later extended to lower-level party members within the bureaucracy and military. While it succeeded in removing individuals tied to the former regime, it also caused widespread unemployment among experienced administrators, military personnel, and civil servants.

The policy created a power vacuum and weakened Iraq’s institutions that 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 even after a brutal government crackdown on protests in January, a campaign of lethal force and mass detentions that human rights groups say left thousands of people dead and tens of thousands arrested as authorities sought to suppress widespread dissent.

(With inputs from agencies)