As Iran’s streets continue to pulse with mass protests against the bloodstained clerical regime and its enforcer, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), former Italian Foreign Minister and current Fratelli d’Italia Senator Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata has delivered a sharp and unequivocal assessment of Reza Pahlavi’s ambitions to lead a post-regime transition.
In a February 16, 2026, post on X, Senator Terzi systematically challenges the notion that the exiled son of the last Shah could serve as a unifying or legitimate figure for change. He begins by noting that Pahlavi portrays himself as a “reference figure” for the Iranian people and claims that his name is chanted in demonstrations across the country. However, Senator Terzi swiftly casts doubt on this narrative.
Citing a recent Financial Times investigation, the Italian senator highlights the dramatic surge in Pahlavi’s social media following — particularly on Instagram — which the newspaper suggests was largely driven by accounts operating under false identities. Many of these accounts, according to the report, repeatedly circulate polished and nearly identical content promoting Pahlavi. This raises serious questions about the authenticity of his support, both inside Iran and within the diaspora.
While mass protests continue in Iran against the brutal regime of the #Ayatollahs and the #Pasdaran, potential candidates who can embody the Iranian people's struggle for freedom are being sought.
Reza Pahlavi, son of the Shah, has never hidden his aspirations to lead the… pic.twitter.com/Orvl4z3Bbu— Giulio Terzi (@GiulioTerzi) February 17, 2026
The former Italian foreign minister further argues that much of Pahlavi’s backing appears to have been cultivated through segments of the Iranian diaspora, where a nostalgic narrative of life under the Shah has been promoted to a population frustrated by economic hardship and the lack of reforms. Yet many observers remain skeptical about the extent of his genuine support within Iran itself.
More troubling, Senator Terzi points to unresolved concerns about Pahlavi’s long-standing relationships with political, economic, and security elements of the current regime. Speaking in a hearing before joint parliamentary committees on human rights, foreign affairs, and defense, Senator Terzi publicly questioned claims made by Professor Pejman Abdolmohammadi, who had endorsed Pahlavi as the only viable personality capable of guaranteeing a transition. The professor had argued that Pahlavi could ensure a peaceful and orderly transition and that “healthy elements” still existed within the regime’s security apparatus.
Senator Terzi expressed deep concern over such assertions — especially given that, at the time, the European Union, with Italy’s full support, had cohesively designated the IRGC in its entirety as a terrorist organization.
#Iran: Terzi (FdI), Rajavi indica alternativa democratica = (AGI) – Roma, 7 gen. –
"Da piu' di dieci giorni, il popolo iraniano protesta e insorge nelle strade di tutto il Paese. L'inflazione oltre il 42%, il Grande #Bazar di Teheran con le serrande abbassate, le rivolte in 130… pic.twitter.com/QBR0JNBcGc— Giulio Terzi (@GiulioTerzi) January 7, 2026
Drawing heavily on Struan Stevenson’s book Countdown to Collapse: Iran’s Regime on the Brink, Senator Terzi cites statements made by Pahlavi at a June 23, 2025 press conference in Paris. According to Stevenson’s account, Pahlavi declared that he was in direct contact with the IRGC — described as the regime’s Gestapo-like enforcement force — and that he considered these forces necessary not only to promote change but also to maintain order after the overthrow of the mullahs.
Pahlavi reportedly stated that he was establishing “a formal channel through which military, security, and police personnel can contact me directly — me, my team, and our expanding operation.” He added: “I know these officers, these soldiers. These brave men exist because they contact me and tell me they want to take part in this national salvation. But now greater coordination is necessary.”
Describing members of the IRGC and the Basij — forces responsible for decades of arrests, torture, and killings — as “brave men,” Terzi notes, would understandably outrage the tens of thousands of families whose loved ones were arrested, tortured, and killed by the regime’s repressive apparatus.
Si è tenuta a Londra una straordinaria Conferenza, organizzata dal Consiglio Nazionale della Resistenza in Iran, in occasione della Giornata Mondiale contro la Pena di Morte.
Qui seguito il mio intervento:
"Signora Rajavi,
Illustri autorità,
Cari amici della Resistenza iraniana,… pic.twitter.com/SfcqGxbDcY— Giulio Terzi (@GiulioTerzi) October 12, 2025
The conclusion, Senator Terzi underscores, is stark: it is no surprise that the Iranian people reject both the current criminal theocracy and the cruel monarchy of the past.
As protests continue, driven by relentless repression, economic collapse, and demands for secular democracy, Senator Terzi’s intervention highlights a critical fracture within opposition discourse. By pointing to Pahlavi’s alleged regime entanglements, digitally inflated support, and rhetoric that risks insulting victims of both past and present dictatorships, the Italian senator firmly rejects him as a credible or unifying leader.
In light of the European Union’s formal terrorist designation of the IRGC, Senator Terzi’s warning is clear: any transition tainted by association with the regime’s repressive structures would betray the courage of Iran’s protesters and risk perpetuating cycles of authoritarian rule rather than delivering the freedom they demand.