Exiled Persian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has a reminder for the world as the joint U.S.-Israeli operation wrecks the Iranian Islamic regime: “Iran is not the Islamic Republic.”
One of the constant themes of freedom protests in Iran has been a call for Pahlavi’s return (hence references to the shah). Should the Islamic regime collapse, Pahlavi hopes to facilitate the transformation of Iran into a democratic nation controlled by its people rather than by its worst fundamentalist Muslim ideologues. Acting, therefore, as a sort of spokesman for Persian freedom lovers, Pahlavi praised the United States and Israel on Sunday for their operation, even while emphasizing the importance of planning for a better future in Iran.
“Iran’s civilian infrastructure belongs to the Iranian people and to the future of a free Iran,” Pahlavi declared. “The Islamic Republic’s infrastructure is the machinery of repression and terror used to keep that future from becoming reality. Iran must be protected. The regime must be dismantled.”
He then addressed the leaders of the U.S. and Israel: “I ask President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue targeting the regime and its apparatus of repression, while sparing the civilian infrastructure Iranians will need to rebuild our country. With the support of the US and Israel, and above all the sacrifice of Iranian patriots, the hour of Iran’s freedom is at hand. Long live Iran!”
Related: Netanyahu: 48 Hours Proved Iran Is the ‘Enemy of Civilization’
Persians both in the diaspora and within Iran have openly celebrated successful strikes on Iranian regime officials and key military targets. All the self-righteous Westerners lecturing about Iran seem to forget that the people of Iran are the most eager to see their government go down in flames.
Iranians within Iran stand on rooftops to watch and celebrate the U.S. strikes on Islamic Regime strongholds.
Notice the smiles on all their faces. They’re absolutely loving it.
— The Persian Jewess (@persianjewess) March 5, 2026
“Today is the happiest day of my life.”
Iranians across the globe are flooding the streets—cheering, waving flags, chanting freedom, and crying with joy after the Supreme Leader was taken out in the strikes.pic.twitter.com/fcNpLGBy3f
— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) March 1, 2026
Those PJ Media readers who have seen my other articles on Operation Epic Fury will have noticed that I almost always refer to our conflict with the Iranian regime, rather than simply saying America and Israel are fighting Iran. Words matter, and it is important to distinguish the Islamic regime of Iran from many of its people who oppose it. That is why several PJ Media writers also often refer to the people of Iran who want freedom as Persians, which is the traditional and ancient name rooted in millennia of history and culture.
As a matter of fact, the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury in response to repeated requests for help from Persian protesters as their regime slaughtered more than 40,000 of them earlier this year. Yes, of course, taking out the Islamic regime of Iran is completely in American and Israeli interests, as the regime calls our two countries the “great Satan” and the “little Satan” and regularly attacks our people. But while protecting Americans is of course Donald Trump‘s priority, he has always noted that the timing of this operation was partly influenced by calls for aid from the Persian freedom protestors.
Pahlavi himself has explicitly expressed his hope that Persia will one day in the near future be a democratic nation and an ally of the United States, which would be a historic shift.
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