2023 started with Shahzadeh Reza Pahlavi issuing a statement which was also issued on Twitter by a number of high profile (but vastly less popular) Iranian activists such as Hamed Esmaeilion, Masih Alinejad, Nazanin Boniadi and Golshifteh Farahani. This led to speculation that some kind of coalition has been formed, but in reality it has not been. At least not formally.
There are limits to coalition-building among Iranian opposition. Esmaeilion, Alinejad and Farahani are highly divisive and frankly unpopular figures among many Iranians, not least because of their obnoxious, self-serving behaviour. None of them have the flawless record of Reza Pahlavi and of monarchist activists who have been fighting the good fight for as long as we can remember.
Neither is it a new idea to build a broad-based coalition. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s there were tentative moves towards unifying opposition, monarchists and others, but they bore little real fruit. Unless lessons have been learned from the past, it is difficult to imagine how much more viable and effective a new alliance can be.
However, there is this. Reza Pahlavi is the most popular and only unifying national leader and is constitutionally entitled to be Iran’s head of state. His role as such is meant to be above the fray as a unifier and he does not make the case for himself to be in such a role, but leads by example. He may not ask to be installed on the throne of Iran, but he will certainly be because the Iranian people request it.
If there is to be an informal coalition of any kind, monarchists will be far and away the most dominant force and therefore will be in a position to set the agenda. And it is the monarchist agenda by strength of numbers which has the greatest chance of succeeding. The images from inside Iran are more than enough evidence.
Let me address the following topics here: the question of “unity”, and the tasks for monarchists. I feel like needing to rehash this in a manner befitting of the urgency of the situation.
The Question of “unity”
Over the years, Reza Pahlavi and his monarchist supporters have always been open to extending cooperation to those who share a love for Iran and a desire to free the country from the Islamic Republic regime, even if they do not share the same political ideals. The Payman Novin (New Covenant) and No 2 Islamic Republic campaigns epitomised this. However, not all people outside of monarchist circles responded positively, while some did and moved closer to cooperation.
The point here is it must be a two-way street. Monarchists aren’t causing the problem here. If Reza Pahlavi and monarchists urge unity and cooperation, it means you must come to the table and accept that you will be among those who do not necessarily share your views, but share a common aim to rid Iran of the terrorist regime. However, it appears that many non-monarchist Iranians want monarchists to just give up on their ideas. No, they won’t. Monarchists far outnumber all the others and therefore should not be making concessions, except perhaps leaving the decision to the Iranian people in a referendum.
It would be far easier if well-known Iranian figures simply accepted the fact that Iranians revere their country’s history, symbols and the Pahlavi family.
The task of monarchists
This is simply not about what Iranians expect of Reza Pahlavi. This is about monarchists, by virtue of being the largest group of opposition to the regime and therefore the most likely to shape Iran’s future, and the tasks before them during the struggle, the overthrow of the regime and what will follow.
Reza Pahlavi has expectations of opposition groups and individuals, as everyone does, and these expectations are not unreasonable. The most important task is not just uniting patriotic Iranians, but also producing a concrete program for overthrowing the regime and implementing a new political order, which will be based upon the original constitution.
My monarchist friends have already done tremendous work in advocacy and activism, in their public demonstrations and social media activity. This, however, needs to be furthered with a strong public campaign to raise awareness to the world of what Iranians want, and to meet with the appropriate people to convey this message. There is strength in numbers, and one person cannot do this alone. It is up to each and every one of you to contribute in your own way. It then leads you to obtain recognition.
To conclude, Iranians know what their duty is in order to overthrow the regime. In 2023, the window of opportunity is wide open. Communist regimes lasted four decades in Eastern Europe before falling, and this will be no different. And Iranians will have learned vital lessons not to repeat some of the mistakes made. All we have seen so far justifies faith in the Iranian people to make the right decisions and course of action.