Trump questions Reza Pahlavi’s ability to garner support in Iran
Regional stability hinges on credible deterrence and strategic partnerships with key allies.
The mainstream framing treats Trump’s comments as a personal snub, as if America’s job is to pick a charismatic exile and bet the region on his résumé. That’s a familiar impulse in foreign policy coverage: focus on personalities, then call it strategy. Trump’s hesitation is a reminder that **regime change fantasies** have a long, expensive record.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
President Donald Trump said Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi "seems very nice" while also expressing uncertainty as to whether he could lead Iran.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
The mainstream framing treats Trump’s comments as a personal snub, as if America’s job is to pick a charismatic exile and bet the region on his résumé. That’s a familiar impulse in foreign policy coverage: focus on personalities, then call it strategy.
Trump’s hesitation is a reminder that regime change fantasies have a long, expensive record. Iran is not a think-tank exercise. Any opposition figure, including Reza Pahlavi, has to show real, on-the-ground legitimacy, not just media appeal or diaspora enthusiasm. Skepticism here is not cynicism. It is hard-earned realism.
The conservative concern is national security, not pageantry. We should support maximum pressure on the regime and stand with Iranians who want freedom, while avoiding commitments that drag America into another open-ended project.
The principle is simple: protect public trust by aligning U.S. power with achievable ends, not wishful narratives.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.