Reza Pahlavi receives standing ovation at CPAC: 'A free Iran is not a fantasy, it is within reach'

Reza Pahlavi, crown prince of the shah dynasty in Iran, participated in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). During his speech in Dallas, he highlighted the leadership of Donald Trump and assured that he hopes that 2026 will be remembered as the "year of Iran's rebirth." He also promoted a democratic transition in his country.

Pahlavi spoke in the midst of the war that the United States and Israel are leading against Iran. While its airspace is controlled by Americans and Israelis, the Iranian regime threatens to create a global energy crisis through the sustained closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

In this context, the 65-year-old heir was greeted with a standing ovation at CPAC, where he sent a clear message: a free Iran is not a "fantasy," but "within reach."

"Can you imagine Iran going from 'death to America' to 'God bless America'? Well, I too can because I have seen the true soul of my people. The Iranian people celebrate life and liberty. That's why I can imagine an Iran that exports engineers instead of extremists, startups instead of suicide bombers, energy instead of hatred. I can imagine a Middle East where Iran is no longer a source of chaos, but an anchor of stability," Pahlavi said.

According to Pahlavi, for the first time in decades, President Trump has given Iranians a real opportunity to reach out to that country he described in his speech.

In addition, he highlighted the massacre committed by the Iranian regime against its citizens during the recent protests, claiming that the toll was at least 40,000 dead and 300,000 injured: "They did not stop their terror on the streets. Wounded protesters were hunted down in hospital beds and shot in cold blood. Men and women were raped in secret prisons. Even nurses, ambulance medics, and doctors who dared to help protesters were tortured, raped, and killed."

Finally, he left an optimistic message for the future of both Iran and the United States. "2026 marks the 250th birthday of the United States. It is my hope and my belief that history will also remember 2026 as the year of Iran's rebirth. What my people are fighting for is the rebirth of our 2500-year-old civilization. When the black page of the illegitimate Islamic regime is turned, that is the transition and heritage to which Iran will return. So in 2026, our two nations are reaching for a new chapter, both determined to be great." 

Pahlavi has spent the past 46 years in exile after the Islamic Revolution, led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who overthrew his father in 1979, ending 2,500 years of Persian monarchy. Since then, he established himself as a voice for a democratic transition in Iran, abandoning the theocratic regime.