The Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, spoke at the USC campus for the inaugural event of the Raymond and Dina Levy Distinguished Speaker Series on Tuesday evening.
The keynote address included an interview with Pahlavi moderated by journalist Tabby Refael. Together, they discussed the history between Israel and Iran, the Iranian administration and the prospect of “regime change.”
Pahlavi is an Iranian political figure in exile known for his efforts advocating for a secular Iran and opposing the current government. He has not been able to return to his homeland since fleeing in 1979 due to the Iranian revolution, which culminated in the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Pahlavi’s appearance in Los Angeles was a deeply resonant moment for local Iranians.
“[Pahlavi] is so well liked, and he’s been such an advocate for human rights, and the Cyrus Accords, of course, relate to that,” said Arezo Rashidian, a political activist based in Orange County. “His presence in Los Angeles, which has the largest Iranian American diaspora, is so important.”
Security personnel flanked the stage at Town and Gown and stood watch outside the lobby as about 500 guests streamed into the venue. Across campus, at Moreton Fig, a livestream watch party welcomed those who were unable to RSVP in time.
The Town and Gown ballroom was filled with lively chatter and a palpable optimism among the Iranian diaspora in attendance at Tuesday’s event. A standing ovation and chants in Persian erupted from the audience as Pahlavi assumed the stage.
“I return not simply as an alumnus, but to speak with you as partners in the mission of Iran’s liberation and renewal,” Pahlavi said in his opening remarks. “Over the years, I have spoken of a strategy to guide us from dictatorship to democracy. It rests on five interconnected pillars.”
These five pillars, according to Pahlavi, include mobilization of activists within and outside of Iran as well as a plan for the nation after the possible fall of Ali Hosseini Khamenei’s government.
Pahlavi referred to this project for Iran’s future as the Iran Prosperity Project, “a non-partisan, research-based campaign to revitalize the economic and political situation in a future, liberated Iran,” according to their website.
Just as the IPP rests on the collaboration between Americans and Iranians, Pahlavi proposed a peace framework called the Cyrus Accords that hopes to establish cooperation between Israel and “a free, democratic, prosperous Iran.” Pahlavi insisted on his belief in the relationship between the two nations despite recent hostilities.
Despite hundreds of civilian deaths during the 12-Day War — a U.S.-backed Israel strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities that killed Iranian military leaders — Pahlavi insisted that Israel-Iran relations could still be strong in the future.
“I think the actual result of this 12-Day War, which was clearly a war against the regime and not the people of Iran — let’s make that distinction — was trying to weaken the system by hitting [its] apparatus of surveillance,” Pahlavi said. “The elimination of many of [the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] commanders was one way to weaken the regime, which is more favorable to the people who now have a better chance to stand up against [them] … because we are not trying to get our liberation by a foreign occupation.”
Pahlavi suggested that an Iranian-organized campaign against the current administration, including tactics like labor strikes, is entirely possible through funding provided by unfreezing Iranian assets in the U.S.
The support of Pahlavi by the Iranian diaspora was key to the success of the event. Pahlavi recognized the importance of Iranians living abroad, and spoke directly to them in a call to action.
“Iranians are fighting and dying in the streets of our homeland. Mothers and fathers bury their children. Young men and women risk their lives each day for the chance of freedom. In those moments, they look outward to our successful diaspora and they ask, ‘Are you with us?” he said. “The diaspora must decide, are you spectators of Iran’s struggle or partners in her liberation?”
Pahlavi also stressed the importance of grassroots movements and political resistance by youth in Iran, who he refers to as “Gen V for victory.” He called upon his fellow Trojans to join in their commitment to a different Iran.
Simultaneously, however, Pahlavi condemned the “antisemitism [that] surged on campuses across America” in response to the October 7 attacks in 2023, and what he deemed as “chants [that] glorify violence.”
Pahlavi hopes his legacy will be keeping the torch of Iran’s liberation alive and ensuring that the freedom to come will be enduring.
“Our challenge is not just to save our nation, it is to build the systems, institutions and civic ethics that will sustain our freedom for generations to come,” he said. “We are not here for the quick fix. We are here for the long-term solutions, and those are only possible with broad participation. So today, I am here to ask you to join in this fight.”