reza pahlavi took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Grapevine, Texas, on Saturday and pressed US President Donald Trump to avoid any agreement with Iran’s current leaders. Speaking as the US and Israel’s war on Iran entered its second month, he framed his message around regime change and a future “free Iran. ” The appearance came amid heightened questions about the future of Iran’s government and sharp divisions inside the US right over the conflict.
What happened at CPAC in Texas
At CPAC in Grapevine, reza pahlavi pitched himself to the right-wing summit and received what was described as a raucous welcome, including chants of “Long live the king!” from some in the audience. During his remarks, he urged Trump not to “cut a deal with Iran” and instead pursue regime change.
He asked the crowd, “Can you imagine Iran going from ‘Death to America’ to ‘God Bless America’?” and then drew a direct parallel to Trump’s political slogan: “President Trump is making America great again. I intend to make Iran great again, ” he said, drawing a standing ovation.
Reza Pahlavi’s message: no deal, “stay the course, ” and regime change
Reza Pahlavi’s central demand was explicit: “This regime in its entirety must go, ” he said on Saturday. He also called on the Trump administration to “stay the course” as the fighting continues.
His stance has positioned him as an outspoken supporter of Trump, aligned with what were described as the administration’s most hawkish figures. The political pitch comes even as parts of the Iranian diaspora have voiced reservations about the US-Israeli attacks and what those attacks could mean for Iran’s future.
War timeline and the human toll, with timestamps in ET
As of Saturday (ET), the speech coincided with the one-month anniversary of the US and Israel’s decision to launch a war against Iran. As the conflict moved into its second month (ET), at least 1, 937 people in Iran had been killed and tens of thousands more injured, with no end to the fighting in sight.
Pushback, doubts, and political splits
Analysts have warned that Iran’s government is not likely to collapse and could emerge from the conflict more hardened than before. At the same time, some exiles have faced criticism for backing the US-Israeli war despite the heavy toll on Iranian civilians.
Trump has previously downplayed the prospect that the son of the former shah—expelled from Iran during the 1979 revolution—could play a central role if Iran’s current government were to collapse. Earlier this month (ET), Trump said Pahlavi “looks like a very nice person, ” but suggested he lacks popularity in Iran, adding: “It would seem to me that somebody from within, maybe, would be more appropriate. ”
Divisions inside the US right also surfaced around the war. Polling cited from Pew Research Center found 71 percent of Republican voters felt the US had made the right decision to attack Iran, while 59 percent of voters overall opposed the initial strikes.
What’s next
As the war continues into its second month (ET) with casualties mounting, the political fight over the US approach is playing out in public: between calls for regime change and warnings about escalation and outcomes. For reza pahlavi, the next test will be whether his CPAC message—no deal with Iran’s current leaders—translates into sustained backing from US decision-makers as the conflict shows no clear end in sight (ET).
