A booming standing ovation and feverish cheers of “Javid Shah!” emanated from the middle-aged, formally-attired crowd as Reza Pahlavi approached the Town and Gown ballroom Tuesday night with his entourage. Pahlavi is the exiled crown prince of Iran; “Javid Shah” is a slogan that translates roughly from Farsi to “Long live the king!”

“Let’s not put the carriage before the horse,” Pahlavi joked. “USC was a place that helped shape my outlook on the world and deepened my belief in freedom and democracy.”

USC alum Pahlavi is the son of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution after mounting discontent surrounding his authoritarian practices and brutal secret police force. The former Shah of Iran and his family fled overseas during the revolution. 

In a speaker event hosted by the USC Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life and Office of the Provost, Pahlavi presented his strategy for Iran’s future: putting pressure on the Islamic Republic, growing support for Iranian people, promoting defections from within the regime, mobilizing activists and creating a detailed plan for Iran’s post-regime renewal. 

Through the night, Pahlavi touched on his 2023 visit to Israel, saying visits like his are the first steps toward rebuilding Israel-Iran relations. He mourned the Iranian and Israeli victims of the Oct. 7 attacks, and praised President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hospitality during his visit. 

He also claimed the antisemitic talking points in the United States after Oct. 7 came “straight from the playbook of the Islamic Republic.” He said this hatred was fomented and amplified by Tehran, calling it “the export of tyranny into the hearts of free institutions.” He alleged this war of narratives is being waged on Western academic institutions and free speech as a whole. 

“For decades, Tehran has sought to project its propaganda into your universities, your campuses, your public discourse,” Pahlavi said. “It funds front groups, nurtures so-called ‘cultural exchange programs,’ and works to normalize its narrative. The goal is always the same: to silence dissidents, to confuse the naive and to weaken solidarity with the Iranian people.”

Tabby Refael, a journalist for the Jewish Journal, joined Pahlavi for an interview following Pahlavi’s speech. To start, she asked him what the word “patriot” meant to him. He answered that, to him, patriotism was not based in ideology, but in commitment and dedication to one’s country. 

She asked him about the Jewish-Iranian diaspora and how they might shape the future of Iran. Pahlavi claimed that Iran was the only Muslim country in the Middle East to offer Jewish people refuge and nationality during World War II. He called Los Angeles the beating heart of the Iranian diaspora. 

“I recall a time [Iran was] sending students to study abroad,” Pahlavi said. “Many of them came here [to] California, USC, UCLA. Unfortunately, at the time … they were sort of under Marxist ideology or what have you, and were of a totally different direction. But … now we have millions of ambassadors … from Japan to the United States, and the diaspora represents [us].”

The event took place shortly after the three-month anniversary of the beginning of the Israel-Iran war, which culminated in three U.S. strikes on alleged Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities on June 22. Refael asked Pahlavi how he would explain the strikes to the average American, who “shook your hand and said, ‘Gosh, I thought you guys would have freedom after [that].’” 

“For years, I’ve been arguing that appeasement as a tactic, containment as an approach and all the demeanor that the Western countries in particular demonstrated, vis-à-vis this regime, sooner or later, this regime is going to drive us to conflict. And unfortunately, it did. This is not the Iranian people’s war. This is Ali Khamenei’s war. The regime is responsible,” Pahlavi said.

He said the Israel-Iran war was a response to Oct. 7, and “the playing field had to be equalized.” He said the weakening of the Iranian regime created a singular opportunity for the people to stand up to the Republic. He proposed that the U.S. repurpose seized Iranian assets to fund a general labor strike in Iran to topple the regime in Iran.

On foreign intervention, Pahlavi referred to foreign support as his “red line.” He said he feels Iran should never be “indebted” to anyone else, nor should there be a price on liberty. He advocated for nonviolent revolution for a democratic future. 

On this, Nazanin Sotoudeh, an attendee and supporter of Pahlavi, said she wants a monarchy returned to Iran, although the event introduction said Pahlavi himself seeks a referendum on returning the monarchy.

“[He is not Crown Prince] … he is king already, because we refuse to accept the referendum of 1979. It was illegal … We already have a king … I understand my king’s wisdom,” she said, referring to his desire for a referendum on whether Iran proceeds with a monarchy or republic.

Pahlavi briefly touched on his “Cyrus Accords,” a presumptive peace agreement between post-regime Iran and Israel. He said the accords would lead to an Iran able to “contribute to peace and prosperity among its neighbors.”

“The people of Iran have shown their commitment to this national struggle,” Pahlavi said. “As a response to their bravery and at their call, I too have stepped forward. Working with my team and a broad coalition of dissidents, activists and experts, we have accepted the responsibility to lead in this critical chapter of Iran’s history.”

Pahlavi praised the Iranian Generation Z, styling them “Gen V for Victory.” He said “Gen V” is not a slogan, but a commitment to their fight against the Iranian Republic. He claimed the current regime not only affects Iran; it’s already reached the West.

He said it was a matter of time before the regime fell, and that his job was to ensure the odds were stacked in favor of a unified, democratic opposition. He said that the Republic would only fall if the Iranian people rose up, no matter how vulnerable it was. He finished his speech with a blessing on Iran, and another wave of cheers.