[Ancapistani]

I'm hoping that this is part of a specific plan - Reza Pahlavi has made statements about his trying to influence Trump to not strike Iran's energy sector. Given that those shortly followed Trump's own threats to do so, it seems reasonable to think that the whole interaction could be designed to make Pahlavi look good in front of the Iranian public by apparently obtaining concessions from the US via diplomacy.

If that is the case, I'd expect some kind of official recognition of Pahlavi, or at least some kind of unofficial indication that the US would consider him to be an acceptable leader.

[jfengel]

Would the Iranians accept Pahlavi? They don't love the current regime, but overthrowing the Shah was widely popular.

I hear that Pahlavi is less bad than his father, but surely somebody in Iran has a claim to leadership without being an obvious American puppet.

[Ancapistani]

I'm just a dude in the southern US, so I obviously don't have first-hand knowledge. The best I can do is speak with my friends and colleagues with ties to Iran; those conversations have led me to believe that Pahlavi is the best option to lead a transitional government.

From what I gather it's not that the Iranian people want to return to a Shah, but that Reza has been consistent in stating a desire to lead Iran to a more democratic system, and he has enough trust and goodwill with the people of Iran to make it work.

The outcome I'm hoping for is for the IRGC and Basij to be desolved or effectively powerless, with Reza Pahlavi leading a transitional government and keeping the promises that he's made thus far to liberalize. I want to see him go down in history not as the man who restored the Shah of Iran, but as the person who refused to accept personal authority and instead entrusted it to the people.

[jfengel]

I don't think the war is a good idea, and I'm reluctant to recommend outcomes to a culture different from mine.

That said... if it turns out the Pahlavi can bring about an Iran that makes most of its people reasonably happy and free, I'm all for it.

[Ancapistani]

I do my best to speak about my own political views rarely here, mostly when they're important context to what I'm trying to convey.

> if it turns out the Pahlavi can bring about an Iran that makes most of its people reasonably happy and free, I'm all for it.

Yeah, that's where I am. I'm hoping it works out that way because that's the best path toward a free and happy Iran, not recommending it as a course of action :)