{"id":349256,"date":"2026-11-10T17:05:53","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T16:05:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=349256"},"modified":"2026-11-10T17:18:23","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T16:18:23","slug":"blackwell-warns-against-pahlavis-false-promise-of-liberation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/fake-opposition\/blackwell-warns-against-pahlavis-false-promise-of-liberation\/","title":{"rendered":"Blackwell Warns Against Pahlavi\u2019s False Promise of Liberation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Iranian
Iranian monarchist supporters in Regensburg, Germany, May 10, 2026, pose with oversized portraits of Reza Pahlavi (foreground) and the ousted Shah (held aloft), displaying SAVAK banners and emblem T-shirts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In an article published in the Washington Examiner<\/a><\/em> titled \u201cThe drums of war and Reza Pahlavi\u2019s false promise of deliverance<\/strong>,\u201d Ken Blackwell examines the danger of renewed war against Iran and challenges Pahlavi\u2019s efforts to present himself as the country\u2019s future leader.<\/p>\n

Blackwell holds the Iranian regime responsible for the repression and unresolved crises driving public anger, while warning that another war could deepen civilian suffering and give the authorities further justification to suppress dissent. He rejects any framing that treats the regime and Pahlavi as comparable political forces, arguing that Iran\u2019s central struggle is between an unaccountable ruling system and a population seeking freedom and sovereignty.<\/p>\n

The article questions Pahlavi\u2019s unverified claims of mass defections and his reliance on overseas media exposure, arguing that neither establishes a credible domestic organization or a popular mandate. Blackwell urges journalists and policymakers to scrutinize these claims rather than mistake prominence for leadership. He concludes that Iran\u2019s liberation must come through the organized struggle of its people\u2014not foreign military intervention or an exiled claimant seeking to inherit power\u2014and that a democratic republic requires rejecting both the present dictatorship and the restoration of a discredited authoritarian past.<\/p>\n

The full article appears below.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The drums of war and Reza Pahlavi\u2019s false promise of deliverance<\/h2>\n

Iran is approaching a dangerous convergence of internal repression and external war. The crises that drove the January uprising remain unresolved. The regime has answered public anger with lethal force, mass arrests, and communications restrictions, while renewed American and Israeli military action threatens deeper suffering. In this setting, Reza Pahlavi again presents himself as ready to take charge, calling for defections and implying that foreign pressure could open his path to power.<\/p>\n

The central issue is not a contest between two comparable poles: the regime and Pahlavi, with the Iranian people trapped between them. That framing grants him political weight, organization, and legitimacy he does not possess. Iran\u2019s real conflict is between a repressive ruling system and a society seeking freedom and sovereignty. Pahlavi is not an equal force in that struggle, but an opportunistic claimant who may exploit war, media exposure and public desperation to manufacture the appearance of an alternative.<\/p>\n

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What Reza Pahlavi Was Really Selling in Frankfurt
\nhttps:\/\/t.co\/EvRVXz6SMx<\/p>\n

\u2014 NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) November 9, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n