Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi speaks on Iran’s ‘Day After’ and ‘biblical relationship’ with Israel

Given the way ISIS filled the power vacuum in Iraq once Sadam Hussain was gone, and the flood of questions about Venezuela following the removal of Maduro, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi of Iran is putting careful plans in place for when the Islamic Regime finally falls.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he spoke about the possibility of Iran joining the Abraham Accords in the event of a successful overthrow of the regime.

“I think Tehran will elevate it to the 'Cyrus Accord' to make Iran part of that Abraham Accord group,” he said. “That’s what I said two years ago when I was in Jerusalem and met with President Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu.”

Leading up to his visit in April 2023, he spoke warmly about possible relations with Israel in the future, saying, “Millions of my compatriots still remember living alongside their Jewish-Iranian friends and neighbors, before the Islamic Revolution tore the fabric of our society apart. They reject the regime's murderous anti-Israel and antisemitic policies and long for cultural, scientific and economic exchanges with Israel. A democratic Iran will seek to renew its ties with Israel and our Arab neighbors. In my opinion, that day is closer than ever."

Now it’s looking like Pahlavi might have been right. Much has happened since his visit, most significantly the attack on Oct. 7, 2023 and the subsequent multi-front war with Iran’s proxies surrounding Israel. However, the people of Iran are protesting the regime en masse, sick of the country’s wealth being blown on terrorism instead of being invested in the people themselves. 

“Right now, the regime is in disarray. There’s more and more fragmentation. We are witnessing more and more defections. Plus, it’s a dismal situation economically. Our currency is at its worst level. It’s at a point where people are just exploding,” Pahlavi said.

More than a dire economic crisis, the country is running out of water, presenting a serious emergency. “They are even suggesting that they should move the capital from Tehran to somewhere else because there is no water. People are now saying, look, we need to take our country back before it’s too late. This is the strongest and most widespread movement we’ve seen – in over 100 cities, over 20 provinces. This is unprecedented, a golden opportunity not to miss,” he insisted.

When asked why it might be different this time given the failure of the last two uprisings, Pahlavi pointed to the U.S. presidency and the Israeli PM: “In 2009, when the (Iranian) Green Movement (also known as the Persian Awakening) was taking shape, you had someone by the name of Barack Obama in the White House… the slogans on the streets back then were “Obama, Obama, ya ba ouna, ya ba ma” – which means, “Obama, Obama, you’re either with them, or with us.” The Green Movement generation was thrown under the bus.” 

“Fast-forward the tape to the Mahsa Amini uprising. You had somebody by the name of Joe Biden in the White House, the Biden who allowed the Islamic regime to have access to over $200 billion of oil revenue they shouldn’t have had in the first place. The regime utilized that money not to benefit the Iranian people and the economic situation, but to strengthen their proxies. That led to Oct. 7,” he said.

“Now you have a very strong prime minister in Israel who is clearly on our side. And I think President Trump, unlike his predecessor, is definitely on a different path vis-à-vis what’s happening in Iran today. And you have Marco Rubio at the State Department. I believe he’s perhaps the first secretary of state ever since the Iranian revolution who truly gets it," Pahlavi added.

His appreciation of the connection with Israel is not only reliant on the current prime minister but rooted in the ancient historical relationship. “I think there are only two countries on this planet that can claim to have a biblical relationship: Iran and Israel,” he said. “This goes back 25 centuries. Cyrus the Great [c. 600-530 BCE] freed the Jewish slaves in Babylon and helped them rebuild their temple in Jerusalem.”

Pahlavi explained how Israel could be a great help to Iran in the future, just as Persian king Cyrus blessed Israel in the past: “Today, we have serious water issues in Iran. The best experts in the field happen to be Israeli scientists. Part of the reason I went there is to discuss the matter with them and have a plan of action to immediately be able to attend to a problem that could become a major issue."

“This is not just rhetoric. Iranians believe that they will have a solid strategic partnership with Israel and with our Arab neighbors to make the Middle East get back on track. That’s part of the reason why the Abraham Accords were sabotaged by the regime in Iran," he continued.