Reza Pahlavi pledges to ‘make Iran great again’ at 2026 CPAC conference

Iranian opposition leader calls on Trump administration to ‘stay the course’ as the US and Israel continue to wage war on Iran.Amid questions about the future of Iran’s government, the son of the former shah has pitched himself to a right-wing summit in the United States and received a raucous welcome.Reza Pahlavi spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas on Saturday, urging US President Donald Trump not to cut a deal with Iran and instead seek regime change.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Inside Qeshm, Iran’s underground missile fortress and geological marvellist 2 of 3How Iran used asymmetric warfare to offset US-Israeli military powerlist 3 of 3Who was Gholamreza Soleimani, killed commander of Iran’s Basij forces?end of list“Can you imagine Iran going from ‘Death to America’ to ‘God Bless America’?” the self-styled crown prince asked his audience in Grapevine, Texas.“President Trump is making America great again. I intend to make Iran great again,” he added, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.His remarks came on the one-month anniversary of the US and Israel’s decision to launch a war against Iran. As the conflict enters its second month, at least 1,937 people in Iran have been killed, and tens of thousands more injured, with no end to the fighting in sight.Pahlavi has become a central opposition figure in the Iranian diaspora, with a loyal base of supporters who often carry his image, along with Iran’s pre-revolutionary flag, at protests around the world.During his speech, some in the audience chanted, “Long live the king!”Audience members wrapped in Lion and Sun flags, symbolising Iran’s deposed monarchy, listen to a speech from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah [Callaghan O’Hare/Reuters]While some in the Iranian diaspora have expressed reservations about the US-Israeli attacks and their effect on the future of Iran, Pahlavi has emerged as an outspoken supporter of Trump, aligned with the administration’s most hawkish figures.