{"id":325260,"date":"2024-10-24T19:50:36","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T18:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=325260"},"modified":"2026-02-24T12:50:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T11:50:23","slug":"the-shahs-dictatorship-a-shield-for-the-iranian-regimes-continuity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-a-world\/the-shahs-dictatorship-a-shield-for-the-iranian-regimes-continuity\/","title":{"rendered":"The Shah\u2019s Dictatorship: A Shield for the Iranian Regime\u2019s Continuity\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"shah<\/p>\n

Four-minute read<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Iran faces internal unrest and escalating international pressures, the regime in Tehran finds comfort in a familiar but misguided distraction: occasional foreign promotion of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the ousted monarchical dictator<\/a>. While such gestures are often framed as support for change, they fail to reflect the realities on the ground in Iran. By spotlighting a divisive figure with no genuine support among Iranians, these efforts send the wrong signal\u2014one that the regime is quick to exploit.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Attempts to Promote a Divisive Legacy Fall Flat<\/h3>\n

On October 22, 2024, Reza Pahlavi received the <\/span>Architect of Peace<\/span><\/i> award<\/span><\/a> at an event hosted by the Nixon Library. Despite the ceremony\u2019s attempts to draw attention, it hardly made an impact outside a few predictable circles. Pahlavi\u2019s recent media coverage on <\/span>Fox News<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Sky News Arabic<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Voice of America<\/span><\/a> has continued to present him as a moderate, advocating for regional stability and economic reform without proposing any radical shift in Iran\u2019s political structure. His focus on external partnerships and gradual change highlights a longstanding approach that seeks a choreographed transition, including cooperation with existing regime elements, a stance that has long involved the IRGC.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While foreign platforms may try to cast him as a diplomatic alternative, his reluctance to push for a complete break from the existing power structures has made him a divisive figure. Iranian protesters continue to reject both the past monarchy and the current theocratic rule, signaling a demand for fundamental change that Pahlavi\u2019s gradualist approach does not address.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Tehran Benefits from Foreign Distractions<\/h3>\n

The Iranian regime’s lack of resistance to these foreign gestures toward Pahlavi is telling. For Tehran, promoting remnants of the Shah regime is far from threatening\u2014it is convenient. Whenever the regime faces significant challenges, whether through nationwide protests or international scrutiny, the monarchist distraction emerges, providing Tehran with an opportunity to deflect from its own vulnerabilities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Protesters in Iran's cities chant: Down with the Oppressor, Be it the Shah or the Supreme Leader<\/div><\/div>
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