Replacing the Mullahs in Iran will be Necessary but the ‘Baby Shah’ is NOT an Option
Before Iran’s Mullahs, the Shah of Iran was in power. Now, with the imminent removal of the Mullahs on the horizon, who or what will replace them? The son of the Shah, Reza Pahlavi, also known as the ‘Baby Shah’ is a very bad idea and should be a non-starter, according to Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
With nuclear negotiations officially shelved, Iran’s proxy Houthis targeting Israeli infrastructure, and mysterious explosions rocking Iranian ports, regional tensions are spiraling—and Tehran’s grip is visibly weakening. The inevitable question now looms: who will fill the power vacuum once the Iranian regime collapses?
Jafarzadeh argues that the world must be clear-eyed about the answer. The Iranian people, he says, are not looking for a return to monarchy or military rule. They want real change—democratic, secular, and accountable governance.
Jafarzadeh warns against promoting Reza Pahlavi, son of the former Shah, as a viable alternative. Pahlavi has quietly courted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—the very force used by the clerical regime to crush dissent and export terror across the region. “The IRGC is not part of the solution,” says Jafarzadeh. “It is the militarized backbone of the theocracy. Any figure aligned with it, directly or indirectly, would only extend the cycle of repression.”
Instead, the NCRI, with decades of organized resistance and a broad network inside Iran, has a proven democratic platform. Its 10-point plan calls for free elections, gender equality, separation of religion and state, and a non-nuclear Iran. The NCRI has risked everything to expose the regime’s secrets—from nuclear sites to terror plots—and has built trust among Iranians who want to see the mullahs gone, but fear what might replace them.
Jafarzadeh believes the West must begin preparing for a post-theocracy Iran now—and that means backing the people, not recycled autocrats. As regional instability deepens, so too does the urgency to recognize Iran’s real democratic opposition.
Jafarzadeh is available for interviews to discuss the regional fallout from Iran’s unraveling regime, the dangers of empowering IRGC-linked figures, and why the NCRI offers a real path forward for a free Iran.
Would you be interested in speaking with him?
Available for interviews, commentaries, and briefings.
Speakers Available:
Alireza Jafarzadeh – Deputy Director, NCRI-US
Mohammad Mohaddessin – Chairman, NCRI Foreign Affairs Committee
Other Speakers Available:
Shahin Gobadi – Member of NCRI Parliament in Exile
Ali Safavi – Member of NCRI Parliament in Exile
Related Article(s)
Iran’s Exiled Prince Calls On Military To Protect People | Iran International
CPAC’s invitation to Reza Pahlavi betrays its conservative values – Washington Times
Optional Q&A
- With the collapse of nuclear negotiations and increased proxy aggression, what do you see as the regime’s current strategy for survival?
- How significant was the recent explosion at the Iranian port in revealing the regime’s internal weaknesses or external vulnerabilities?
- You’ve warned that Reza Pahlavi is not a viable alternative. What are the specific connections between him and the IRGC that concern you most?
- What makes the NCRI uniquely positioned to fill the power vacuum should the regime fall? How does your network inside Iran function under such heavy repression?
- How do you respond to those in the West who argue there is “no viable alternative” to the current regime?
- What are the key elements of the NCRI’s 10-point plan that distinguish it from other opposition groups or exiled figures?
- If the IRGC were to fracture or splinter in the coming months, how would that impact the trajectory of regime change and transition?
- What immediate steps should Western governments take to empower Iran’s democratic movement and avoid empowering the next dictator?
ABOUT MOHAMMAD MOHADDESSIN…
Mr. Mohammad Mohaddessin, is the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). NCRI is a coalition of various political tendencies and democratic forces working to establish a free and pluralistic republic based on democratic values.
Mohammad Mohaddessin was born in Qom, Iran, the son of a Grand Ayatollah who was opposed to the regime. He studied both in religious seminary and modern education.
In the 1970s, While he was a student in Iran’s most prestigious Sharif University, in 1975 he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years for his affiliation with the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) and opposition to the shah dictatorship. While in prison he was severely tortured.
Mohaddessin has lectured on numerous international forums on Iranian affairs and has represented the Iranian resistance in many international events and conferences.
He has written extensively on political and religious regional issue in Iran and the region. He is the author of “Islamic Fundamentalism: The New Global Threat”, published in 1993 (Seven Locks Press, Washington) in which he addressed the emerging threat of Islamic fundamentalism in the world.
In addition to many articles and essays, Mr. Mohaddessin has authored several other books, including Enemies of Ayatollahs, Democracy Betrayed and The Unethical Policy.
ABOUT ALIREZA JAFARZADEH…
Alireza Jafarzadeh serves as the Deputy Director of the Washington Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). He is also the author of The Iran Threat (Palgrave MacMillan, New York, 2008).
A recognized expert on Iranian policy, Jafarzadeh has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons. His groundbreaking work in 2002 and 2003 led to the discovery of key illicit nuclear sites in Iran, including the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, the Arak heavy water plant, the Kalaye Electric centrifuge testing facility near Tehran, and the Lashkar Ab’ad laser enrichment facility. These revelations prompted the first-ever inspections of Iranian nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Jafarzadeh is a frequent guest on major television and radio networks, including CBS Evening News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and France 24. His insights have also been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Time, and The Hill.
ABOUT SHAHIN GOBADI…
Shahin Gobadi, a U.S.-educated nuclear engineer, is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
An astute observer of Iranian affairs for over three decades, Gobadi is an expert on topics including Iranian state-sponsored terrorism, proxy groups in the Middle East, the Iranian nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, Western policy toward Iran, and internal Iranian affairs.
He has been interviewed by major international media outlets, including CNN, Fox News, BBC, Sky TV, GB News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Reuters, and the Associated Press. Gobadi’s writings have appeared in prominent media across the U.S. and Europe.
ABOUT ALI SAFAVI…
Ali Safavi is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
A sociologist by training, Safavi studied and taught at UCLA, California State University Los Angeles, and the University of Michigan. He was an active participant in the anti-Shah student movement in the 1970s in the United States and has been deeply engaged in Iranian affairs ever since.
Safavi has lectured and written extensively on Iran, Iraq, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and Middle Eastern politics. He has appeared in interviews on networks such as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, BBC, Sky TV, Newsmax, and France 24. His articles and commentary have been published in leading outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Boston Herald, The Washington Times, and The Financial Times.
CONTACT:
For further details or to arrange the interview, please contact Jerry McGlothlin at 919-437-0001 / Bookings@SeasonalLiving.com
