No more Shahs. No more SAVAK. No more Ayatollahs. Let the people vote.

Same problem as in Venezuela. And Russia. And Belorus'. And PRC.

When you imprison, exile, or kill all the opposition, kicking out the top tier and saying, "Elections in 21 days, candidacy petitions due in 7!" is lunacy. Moreover, just because the top tier is gone doesn't mean that loyal foot soldiers and mid-tier folkx wouldn't love to restore the old order in which they believed or which gave them their jobs, and do that by creating such chaos that people want order, any order, more than liberty. Look at Russia under Yeltsin. It's a commonplace to say that Putin restored things, but all the trendlines were good--unemployment, inflation, corruption, violence--for a couple of years prior to the 20000 election. Problem is, the improvement was less felt than the on-going disruption. (We see the same effect when looking at urban violence--violent crime may go way down, but the news doesn't pro-rate even large decreases when there's still more than enough violence to fill the newscast. Or unemployment. Or inflation.)

"Give me liberty or give me death" is the slogan of the brave few. The vast majority are usually of the "Give me freedom, but never at the expense of my life, the life of somebody I know, my income, my property, my pets ... maybe my favorite tv show!" persuasion.

And even if there is a democratic transition--whatever the hell that means--it's easy (so the allusions) goes to boil a frog. Even the dystopia that Venezuela was reaching in end-stage-Chavez and which blossomed like a corpse flower under Maduro was slow and incremental and at each stage some protested and were shut up until finally the blanket of oppression was so thorough that 7-8 million leaving was okay because to stay would lead to a lot of death and unpleasantness.

when the current regime is finally forced from power

He seems to have significant support amongst the protesters and would be preferable to the brutal theocracy they have suffered under for decades.

Ultimately it will be up to the Iranian people to determine their future. Hopefully they will have the opportunity to do so in the near future

Not saying it's untrue, just wondering how this is quantified

He is the choice of some Iranians living here, probably Donald, and Israel.

In fact, he may be a terrible choice - I have a bad feeling of lots of corruption and brute force.

Look at their social media and how they post about the Pahlavis . Almost all of them support bringing him back but many do support elections after.

But it was a police state before it became a theocratic police state

Where does this sense of entitlement come from?

any port in a storm?

The entitlement of all monarchists

Supposedly, for Reza Shah to step in as an interim leader until elections are held. He was educated in the US, and has lived here ever since the overthrow. One would think that he had a plan in place for his eventual return.

They can make him Shah again, as long as he guarantees freedom of religion, women's rights, and no more SAVAK and secret detention facilities.

i can imagine trump demanding megachurch christianity, with women on lock down and brutal privatized prisons

Under the Islamic Republic.

a brutally repressive dictator wants the US and Israel to move him in to power. Remember the phrase "we will be greeted as liberators"?
Remember how that went?

only option.

with elections to come after. They need something before they hold elections.

How anout returning the millions in stolen money you've been living on. And then shutting the fuck up.

My wife's family left Iran due to his father.

elected leader of Iran, Mossadegh, removed, and installed reza's brutal dad?

ever since. NOTHING good happens with "regime change" unless it comes from the people, themselves. I say this, thinking of how we regime change trump without free and fair elections here. We are the Iranian people, and we women will identify more than most with our sisters there.

I'm sure he would do his daddy proud and nothing for the people.

What could possibly go right?

Gift link

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/world/europe/iran-protests-shah-son-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.D1A.CDD_.JWHZxpnD0GQL&smid=url-share

"... Addressing Mr. Trump directly, Mr. Pahlavi said: “They know that you’re not going to throw them under the bus, as has happened before. This is why they are empowered — by the hope that you have their back.”

... Asked directly during the interview by Maria Bartiromo whether he wanted U.S. forces to “take out Khamenei,” Mr. Pahlavi said “the people of Iran have responded and reacted positively to a promise of intervention.”

... A plunge in the value of Iran’s currency on Dec. 28 incited the current protests, which quickly grew into broader calls for the ouster of Mr. Khamenei. Many protesters have also begun voicing support for the Pahlavis, with chants of “long live the shah.”

On Thursday, Mr. Pahlavi and members of several activist groups issued calls for mass protests, helping accelerate the movement. Huge crowds have taken to the streets of large metropolises and marginalized rural provinces alike..."

Sounds like something Trump would endorse.

...and don't want them to return! I would say they hate them just as much as the Ayatollahs, if not more.

It will be a great improvement (especially for women) over the regime that's currently in charge.

the Shah. They can get rid of him also if they are not happy with him .