← PBD Podcast
PBD Podcast
“Stop Cutting Deals With Iran” - Reza Pahlavi Argues For U.S. To Support Regime Change In Iran | PBD Podcast | Ep. 501
01:51:00
Loading summary
Transcript269 lines
- [00:01]
Patrick Bet-David
The new Apple Watch Series 10 is here. It has the biggest display ever. It's also the thinnest Apple Watch ever, making it even more comfortable on your wrist. And it's the fastest charging Apple watch getting you 8 hours of charge in just 15 minutes. Introducing the all new Apple Watch Series 10 now available for the first time in glossy jet black aluminum compared to previous generation. IPhone Xs are later required. Charge time and actual results will vary. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. With the price of just about everything going up during inflation, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us we brought in a reverse auctioneer which is apparently a thing Mint Mobile Unlimited Premium Wireless 30. 30 better. 30 better. 20. 2020 better get 2020 better get 15.
- [00:49]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
15. 15 15.
- [00:50]
Patrick Bet-David
Just 15 bucks a month. Sold. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch. $45 upfront payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three month plan only taxes and fees, extra speed slower above 40 gigabytes. E detail have those thoughts ever crossed your mind or no?
- [01:04]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, are we talking about subcov covert operations and coup plots and that kind of stuff? The discourse in Iran is no longer reform. The discourse in Iran is now revolution to change the regime.
- [01:19]
Patrick Bet-David
I don't know if you saw the story or not. Literally just came out from New York Post. Iran claimed they could build a nuclear weapon as supreme leader on Saturday threatened the US and Israel with toothbreaking response.
- [01:28]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Because you don't need to have war to have that change.
- [01:30]
Patrick Bet-David
I revert back to why did these guys leave though?
- [01:32]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, okay, when it says death to America and death to Israel, it's not just a slogan, they actually mean it.
- [01:39]
Patrick Bet-David
These guys been in office for 46 years and they're still in there. Does that make them better at keeping control than your father and your grandfather?
- [01:48]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Don't you think my father knew what was going to happen? I'm prepared to lead this transition.
- [01:53]
Patrick Bet-David
As the leader or as an advisor leading the transition.
- [01:57]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
We'll see what happens. Let the Iranian people see it is.
- [02:00]
Patrick Bet-David
Too much gray area in that answer to be very direct. So let's say Trump wins on Tuesday. This will be the last chance of you being able to do so possibly in you and I's lifetime.
- [02:11]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
It takes two to tango.
- [02:13]
Patrick Bet-David
Okay, fair enough. But the leader needs to lead.
- [02:16]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Why do you ask me the question? Yeah, this question should be posed to Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. I think Americans need to remember this. Sometimes we forget about things too easily, too fast.
- [02:31]
Patrick Bet-David
Before you watch this interview, I want to give you a little bit of pre perspective of this interview versus the first one that we had detention in. This one was much higher. He was, he was challenged, he was pushed and his energy was something else. And it kept increasing more and more and more throughout the entire. Almost at the end of the interview he was defiant like he wants to do this. It was great to see that. We talked about he reacted to a Trump clip of what Trump's level of commitment would be if he becomes president towards helping Iran. And it was almost as if he was making a case to the Trump administration and to the Iranian people. I asked him, I said why is it that the voter turnout from the Iranian people in Iran has been the lowest for the last couple decades. We talked about that. We talked about the executions on an annual basis in Iran under Obama versus under Trump versus under Biden. It was so revealing. Asked him the question. There's some rumors about his father. When he was on his deathbed he accepted Jesus Christ and became a Christian. He gave his perspective on that because he was bedside when he gave that. And then it's just very much more emotional, much more emotional on this one and intense. And I think the Iranian people as well as people that are not Iranian but interested in seeing peace in the Middle east, you're going to be fascinated by today's sit down with Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. Enjoy this interview. 30 seconds. Did you ever think you were made again I feel I'm supposed to take sweet victory I know this life meant for me yeah why would you bet on Goliath when we got bet David Valuetainment giving values contagious this world of entrepreneurs we get no value to haters how they run homie look what I become I'm the one Last time we had Crown Prince Reza Pahlaviyan it it got millions of views. So many interested people worldwide wanted to hear about the conversation. It was the first time he had a three hour sit down which was just dynamic. Today is a follow up part two. This is going to come out a day before election when you see this with tensions of Iran Israel campaign Trump Paris, all these discussions taking place. It's great to have you back on.
- [04:42]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Good to be back, Patrick.
- [04:43]
Patrick Bet-David
Yes. So I want to start off with a clip that I want to get your reaction to. I had the president here three weeks ago, President Trump and we're having a conversation and one of the things I brought up was when I was in Monaco I was, I met a gentleman who worked in all the banking in 21 countries in the Middle East. And I asked him, I said, how bad are the sanctions on Iran? He said, it's devastating. And I follow it up by saying, what's going to happen with you? Are you going to be doing anything for Iran to go back to what it used to be in the 70s? Here's his response. I want to get your reaction to. Go ahead, Rob, because, and I can.
- [05:23]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Just only tell you this, the power is obliteration. Okay.
- [05:29]
Patrick Bet-David
It's not.
- [05:30]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I always say it's not two army tanks running around.
- [05:33]
Patrick Bet-David
What's going to happen to Iran with you by, by the end of your administration? I don't, I'm not. I would like to see Iran be very successful.
- [05:40]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
The only thing is they can't have a nuclear weapon.
- [05:42]
Patrick Bet-David
Are you okay with the same administration and way of governing states, or would you like to see it go back to the 70s when Charles was running it and Iran was one of the top three countries in tourism?
- [05:53]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Yeah, we can't get totally involved at all. You know, I mean, we can't run ourselves, let's face it.
- [05:58]
Patrick Bet-David
Sure, Patrick.
- [05:59]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
We can't run ourselves.
- [06:00]
Patrick Bet-David
Put sanctions. That's going to. They don't have. The people are going to turn and flip on them. It's not going to be a. What should I think, if you would. When I handed it over, I told.
- [06:11]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Them right now, make a deal with Iran. They'll do anything. They want to make a deal with me.
- [06:18]
Patrick Bet-David
They wanted.
- [06:19]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Had that election not been rigged and stolen, I will tell you right now, we would have no problems anywhere in the world. You know, Viktor Orban, you know, he's.
- [06:30]
Patrick Bet-David
A very tough guy, smart guy, and he's. What's your thoughts on his answer?
- [06:36]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, Patrick, without necessarily isolating the question just to President Trump, we need to have two basic understanding of the Iranian quagmire in the first place. Since the revolution, number one, and something that has been, in my opinion, the biggest flaw in the way of thinking of Western governments, the US Included, vis a vis this regime, is not fully understanding its nature. Why do I say this? Because I think if you look at the tactics or strategies of either containment or appeasement or trying to make a deal was all hinging on a concept of behavior change. And the reason all those approaches have failed is because unlike governments that may have a strategy or think strategically, this is a regime that is ideological. When it says death to America and death to Israel, it's not just a slogan, they actually mean it. And that's why I've been saying all this time that trying to think that you can come to terms with them and that this kind of regime can coexist with countries like America or France or Germany as Western democracies is simply unrealistic. So the problem is the regime itself. It's not whether you can try to use diplomacy with them or come to terms with them. And the second element that needs to also be understood is that if some of the lessons of recent history that involved America, that led to changes of governments but with not good results, has created an element of rejection of the idea, are we going to get involved yet again in another adventure that is going to involve US Taxpayers money that is going to have our soldiers being deployed to the other side of the world and perhaps create some apprehension and we need to stay away from it. The reason I use this as a basic guideline is to say that, look, if we understand that so long as the regime in Iran continues to exist, not only the nuclear threat, but many other ways that the regime depends for its existence, by creating and fomenting instability and intervening in other countries, affairs is not going to disappear because it's its nature, no matter what you think, that is not going to change. Number two is that the change that we as Iranians are calling for and are hoping that governments like the US Government would understand and have our back for a change does not involve the kind of elements that some people may assume will have to happen. Oh, my God, we saw what happened in Afghanistan. Oh my God, we saw what happened in Iraq. Are we going to have yet again that kind of a scenario? In fact, the case of Iran is none of the above. It's going to be totally different as a means of change. But we have to first understand that change of regime in Iran is a prerequisite to a better future. That this is in everyone interest. And of course, I can elaborate on that.
- [09:55]
Patrick Bet-David
So. So I get what you're saying. But President Trump, his answer, his impression is a different impression. The preacher I got from it is, you know, he says, I'm always fluid. It's a fluid mind. Last time we use sanctions, we may use something else. Maybe I'll ask you this question. When he was president, this is the chart I showed the president. Economic growth in Iran. He comes in at 16. They're doing great. That's when the nuclear deal was implemented, sanctions lifted. Obama's ending of it, boom. Then Trump comes in, sanctions are reinstated from Trump. Look at 2018, 2019, right? Iran is in shambles at that time. You're in communication with Everybody around the world that's interested in wanting to see Iran be a democracy, a monarchy, whatever, maybe that many of us can go back and visit the country that we were born in and we lived in. I lived there almost 11 years. How close was it? From your experience, since you left in after your father when he was in exile, how would you compare the level of tension in Iran and how close it got to a fall in changing regime? If Trump would have been reelected, if those sanctions would have stayed, how close was it?
- [11:12]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, that's a very good question. And again, I need to be expanding on this discussion because it has several components. It's not just one element, but several elements together. Clearly, what we saw under President Trump's administration was something that proved to be effective and that was maximum pressure on the regime. We saw as a consequence, how it affected the regime's or curtailed its means to be able to basically fuel its war machine or finance its proxies or do other things. Unlike his administration, the current administration did just the opposite. It did not implement the oil sanctions, which meant that the regime had access to more than $100 billion, perhaps almost close to $200 billion worth of oil revenue by selling it to the Chinese. Money that was used and spent on not the people of Iran, mind you, but that appeasement approach and that paying even ransom to get hostages back, all of that made the regime more virulent, to the point that we shouldn't be surprised that October 7th is an example of what's the consequence of that approach. But is pressure alone sufficient in terms of a foreign policy? And again, I tie this to whether it's based on understanding now, ultimately the regime has to go as opposed to we're putting pressure just to force them back to the negotiation table and expecting behavior change in them. So if we understand that ultimately the root cause of the problem, and I think this is something that the strongest allies of the United States in the region may not voice it, but understand it, whether it's in Riyadh or in Jerusalem, is the fact that so long as this regime is there, none of these problems are going to disappear. So let's say that this time the element of change are the Iranian people. And by the way, since we spoke last time, there has been definitely a shift of optic within Iran itself. The discourse in Iran is no longer reform. The discourse in Iran is now revolution. To change the regime. We are in a pre revolutionary stage. It could become a revolutionary stage by adding a component parallel to maximum pressure, one of maximum support to help the Iranian people, not by sending troops, not by sending taxpayers money, but let's say, repurpose frozen assets of the regime that actually is the Iranian people's money themselves.
- [13:47]
Patrick Bet-David
How do you do that?
- [13:47]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Though the mechanics, it may be a bit more complicated, but the fact is that we're not looking for American intervention. We're simply saying stop trying to cut a deal with this regime and throw the Iranian people yet again under the bus. This is an opportunity to invest on the people of Iran as the agent of change, very different than what happened in Afghanistan and Iraq. And if you begin to do that, you also add a third component. And that means when people within the system, the bureaucracy, the technocracy, that are fed up, the fact that you see that as a result of escalation, people will die, including officers in the military that ought not be put in that position in the first place and they want out, they will ultimately have an element of perhaps what could lead to maximum defections from the regime, limiting their means to respond. If you consider all of these components, the ingredients for change exist. It's just a matter of deciding to shift your policy from one that continues to be in the maintenance of the status quo, of trying to yet again say, okay, if as long as they're not posing a nuclear threat, we can live with them. You can't live with them as it is because they won't let go of their antagonism against the west and particularly the US As a target example, the funding and financial support that the regime is spending on in American universities, fomenting anti Israeli and anti American thinking, even intervening in the elections process here or having, as we speak right now, their so called IT ministers helping the Venezuelans and the Cubans with the same means of Internet filtering and what have you, as they have used against Iranian people at home. They won't let go of any of this. So don't assume and be naive into thinking if we can eliminate one of the immediate threats, the rest is going to come into the fault. That's not going to change. They will continue to do that.
- [15:40]
Patrick Bet-David
Okay, so going back, I want to isolate one question because there is President Trump. When you're president, Iran's not in your top five list of to do list. It's economy, it's reelection, it's family, it's the border, it's building the wall. It's all these things. It's staff firing this person, hiring the next person. All these things that's on your mind, right?
- [16:05]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Yes.
- [16:06]
Patrick Bet-David
But to someone like you, you Know, Iran's in your top three that you think about when you wake up in the morning. You probably want to find the first stories that has to do with Iran. Why? Your entire, your last name, who you are, what you've done. That's your interest. Right. If I'm the Yankees general manager, when I wake up, what's the first thing I want to see? Mlb, Yankees, trade all this stuff. Right. But if he's watching this or if his camp is watching this, okay. And you were to say, just want to let you know what you did in 2018 and 2019. Here's how close you were of Iranian people flipping and that place being forced to go back to getting rid of the, you know, all the chaos that they create in Middle east, whether it's funding of the Hezbollah, the Houthis, the, you know, all these other things that we can look at. How close was Trump accidentally to cause Iran to fall? How close were they?
- [17:00]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, obviously, the momentum was in the right direction, and this is why he received a lot of appreciation and support from Iran itself, to the point that he even sent messages in Farsi to the Iranian people. But that's with the Iranian people's assumption that he actually means to put the kind of pressure that will give them a chance to then ultimately mobilize themselves against the regime. The very same people who appreciated that approach and toughness by his side, if they think that he's here to throw them under the bus and cut a deal with the regime, will be the first one to react negatively to it. Now, I'm not saying this only from the point of view of this, the.
- [17:39]
Patrick Bet-David
One you're talking about, the tweet of Farsi, among others.
- [17:41]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Okay, I'm not saying this only because I'm Iranian and I care about the Iranian people, I think.
- [17:48]
Patrick Bet-David
You mind if I read this to the viewers, to the break? This is in January 11, 2022. The brave and suffering people in Iran have stood with you since the beginning of my presidency, and my government will continue to stand with you. We are following your objections closely. Your courage is inspiring. That's his message, and he tweeted that at real Donald Trump in Farsi. So.
- [18:07]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
So the question, the question is, therefore, is which one is it then? Are we going to fall back to an isolationist mode all of a sudden, or are we seeing the results and the feedback on public opinion? Because, look, I think one of the issues that comes across the desk of analysts or specialists or people who want to have a better understanding of whatever country we talk about it could be North Korea, it could be China, it could be Iran, it could be whatever. Isn't it about understanding the actual thinking of the people in that country? Let me go way back just to give you an example. Do you remember, of course, immediately after 9, 11, what was the mood on the streets of countries in the Middle east following September 11th?
- [19:00]
Patrick Bet-David
What was it?
- [19:00]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Do you remember Al Jazeera television and showing, you know, people rejoicing on the streets of many of these so called allies of the United states celebrating the September 11, that there was an attack.
- [19:14]
Patrick Bet-David
On the US and America, you know, got caught off guard and it was an embarrassing moment for us and they're celebrating that embarrassing moment.
- [19:23]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
And do we remember also that the only country where people went on the streets the same evening after the attack holding candlelight vigils in sympathy to the victims of the September 11 attack were the people of Iran? Iran was the only country which its regime has the most hostility towards America. But the people have the most sympathy for America. I think Americans need to remember this. Sometimes we forget about things too easily, too fast. So that tells you that when you are talking about trying to come to terms or deal with a regime that is inherently antagonistic to America and all of its values, as opposed to a nation that aspire to the very same values and principles of liberty, of human rights, of separation of church from state as a prerequisite to democracy and freedom of religions, we think like you. We want to have the same values that are incorporated in American law, the law of the land, the American Constitution. Even if you look at the way Thomas Jefferson was inspired by Cyrus the Great, who was the first one to bring about the very principles of human rights by liberating Jewish slaves in Babylon and helping them rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. And as the descendant of Cyrus, we Iranians take pride in that. What the world of a difference will be if you have the people of Iran freed from this regime and be truly represented. And you yourself, Patrick, you know what success Iranian emigres and or people who were basically now part and parcels of America as Iranian Americans, how successful they're being as entrepreneurs, as business people, as leading and imagine the potential to have all these resources and their counterparts in Iran bring about the change we want, bring about an element where you have a different Iran that is at peace with Israel, with Saudi Arabia and regionally we provide that element of stability that doesn't require America to have to deploy its troops or its fleets in the region to maintain stability. That's the whole difference. And now as an American taxpayer, now as an American who say we have no business getting involved everywhere else, what you're doing is in fact helping yourselves but not having to do it in the place of others. But if you lag in that, not only you will be dragged into it no matter what later on, but be worse than what we have right now. And the best way to avoid and eliminate all of these problems is to make the situation.
- [22:10]
Patrick Bet-David
I got to follow up for you. So I want to show this clip because I had never even seen this clip that you were talking about until we just pulled it up right now. So there's an article out there that says Iranians who gathered for a soccer match in Tehran two days after the 911 attacks observed a moment of silence in Iran. There was also candlelight vigil. Huge crowds attended candlelight vigils in Iran and 60,000 spectators observed a minute silence at Tehran soccer stadium. Rob, if you can play the clip, if you have it, it'd be great to see this. Go for it. The U. S. Led war on terrorism is getting at least verbal support from some among a one time adversary Iran. In Tehran this week, demonstrators held a candlelight vigil for victims of the attacks in New York and Washington. And Iran's foreign minister was quoted today as saying his government wants those behind the attacks quote, tracked down and severely punished.
- [23:04]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Where Iran's controlling mullahs stand is unclear.
- [23:09]
Patrick Bet-David
Yeah, so when I see that, you know, it tells you where the Iranian people are at. Even when I lived in Iran, the people we admired America, you were, you admired what they did. It was like oh my God, this other family is going to America. It's a dream. Right? America was a. And at the same time I lived there when all you heard was Magbar on recall, Magbat on recall. You know all these things they hear. But I want to show you this. So I made a amateur chart here and I want to, I want to see what you say about this. Okay, so Trump, do you think Trump sanctions brought you halfway through of pressure in Iran where something has to happen? Okay. Because I think he brought it all the way there right to the 50% mark. What do you think is the rest of the 50%? Because I don't think he's going to be the guy. You heard what he said about Liz Cheney yesterday. Oh, they're a war hawk. All they want to do is go to war, war, war. I don't want any war. He got endorsements from Muslims in Michigan standing up and saying the reason why we're Voting for this guy is because he's going to stop all the war in the Middle East. So that's his reputation from his first term. There is no war if that's 50%. Is that it, Rob? Yes, what they're saying this is. You should play this clip. Muslims supporting Trump. Go ahead, Rob.
- [24:24]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Good afternoon, Michiganders.
- [24:26]
Patrick Bet-David
My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for career day and said he was a big roas man.
- [24:33]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Then he told everyone how much he.
- [24:35]
Patrick Bet-David
Loved calculating his return on ad spend.
- [24:38]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
My friends still laugh at me to this day.
- [24:40]
Patrick Bet-David
Not everyone gets B2B. But with LinkedIn you'll be able to reach people who do. Get $100 credit on your next ad campaign. Go to LinkedIn.com campaign to claim your credit. That's LinkedIn.com campaign. Terms and conditions apply. LinkedIn the place to be. To be.
- [25:00]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
As the president said, we just had a positive meeting with President Trump. We as Muslims stand with President Trump because he promises peace. He promises peace, not war.
- [25:15]
Patrick Bet-David
So we can pause it right there. Right? So Muslims being behind him because he's going to stop war, which means Trump's probably not going to be, you don't know. But we go based on first administration. He's not going to be sending troops to Iran to help him topple or regime, all that stuff fallen. If he's saying, guys, this is how much I'm going to do for you. The rest is on you. What do you think the rest is?
- [25:38]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, again, it's a perfect question. And also I would like to take this opportunity and to say that in our optic, at least from my viewpoint, and I think many of my compatriots share this analysis. We're not asking for America to intervene militarily in the first place if nobody wants war. And war is not going to be the solution either, because you don't need to have war to have that change. I revert back to it.
- [26:03]
Patrick Bet-David
How do these guys leave, though?
- [26:04]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, okay, well, this is a regime that is extremely repressive, meaning that the Iranian people need to have an element of having, you know, a fairer chance to succeed. This is not going to happen without having what I was suggesting earlier, that parallel to maximum pressure, have also a campaign of maximum support. You're right in your charge of saying that he came halfway. And in fact, if we look at all the charts that we have seen, if you look at the way the regime was curtailed, the fact that the level of executions in Iran was half of what it was between the Obama Administration and the Biden administration was in fact, as a result of the regime backing off because they were facing something, pressure. You know, the old adage of peace through strength. But let's define what strength means. Strength doesn't mean that you divest completely without having something to replace it with. Strength doesn't mean that you always have to have boots on the ground to enforce your interests militarily. Strength means that you find the right allies, work with them, but you need to nurture that. You need to be able to give them the footing they need to be able to succeed. What can bring change in Iran? Let's analyze that for a second. And how can it tie into what I think would be part of the foreign policy of, let's say, the American government? I still believe in the principles of civil disobedience as the method for change, nonviolent civil disobedience. And most of the Iranian people so far has abided by that. But they need more help. They need more help in terms of making sure that they are not cut off from the world. So Internet access is one thing. Then we need to be able to help Iranian families, particularly that of political prisoners and blue collar workers. Because I think the quickest way to paralyze the system from within are ultimately labor strikes. And we need to be able to support that. Right now, if an Iranian family that is living in Germany or in America or in Canada or anywhere else would like to send some money to help somebody inside Iran, we can't. Under the sanction rules and ofac, we are limited in terms of being able to help our kind. So the problem is that the bad guys somehow make the money by undercutting the sanctions. But the good guys are unable to help each other because they are limited by means. So I think there are so many policy changes that could change that aspect, but it needs to be implemented by whatever government. In other words, America doesn't get to get directly involved. But there are certain things that can make it easier for us to operate. One of those elements, as I indicated, was there are a lot of frozen assets that belong to the Iranian people in the first place. And these can be a means to fund and finance many elements that will be helping the people going to them.
- [29:01]
Patrick Bet-David
Even the frozen assets you release, you have to go through the current regime that is going to spend it. When you hear stories that Khamenei's family is worth 95 billion, is that accurate? Do you believe that?
- [29:11]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I don't know. But I wouldn't be surprised because definitely the Whole the symbiosis of the mafia, that is the IRGC working with the regime, helping each other has really enriched them while the people are starving on the streets. Now, yeah, maybe it would be people would say, okay, how do we actually get that done? But I believe in the principle of when there's a will, there's a way. And I think one of the things that can be done is to make it possible for Iranians to help one another. The Iranian diaspora has means to help the fellow compatriots, but if you ask them right now, can they actually help fellow Iranians at home, it's very complicated under the sanction rules. So I think there has to be some modification. So one thing that President Trump did, and again, part of your chart, he put the IRGC on the list of terrorist organization. The Europeans have yet to do that, but that was a courageous first step of indicating we know where we can hit the regime when it hurts. You can even expand on those sanctions for purposes of imposing even more pressure on the regime. But that won't be sufficient for the change we are seeking. What we are seeking is to have also a campaign of maximum support now very short of what some people may assume, are we going to yet again be forced to engage or intervene militarily. So let's say we all understand that America doesn't want to war, go to war. I'm sure whether it's the Democrats or the Republicans, nobody wants to go to war. We don't want anything to lead to a war. But let's understand one thing. The other side will continue to use every means at its disposal to force conflict because they have lived with that all these years. If you come to think of it, Patrick, don't you think that they've been given ample opportunities since the Iran Iraq war ended to come clean and to change how many times we have seen succeeding US Administration attempting that. Let me go back to the days of Ronald Reagan. What happened after Carter lost his presidency and the hostages were taken. We are about two days from the anniversary of the American hostages taken in the U.S. embassy in Tehran. President Reagan dispatched Robert McFarland with a Bible and a cake to try to humor Rafsanjani at the time. Let's not forget that. And one after the other, Bush father came and said, the world is less threatened right now, or something to that effect. And of course, that resulted with, okay, now that we don't have to worry about the Middle east, let's elect Bill Clinton. And Bill Clinton came in and then he had to Face the situation in Bosnia and what have you. And then we came to later on, 9, 11 happens. George W. Bush decides to take down Saddam Hussein, which actually was net, net lose for America, win for the Islamic Republic as a result. Then we came to the Obama era. We tried jcpoa. We saw what happened, that even after that, the regime started taking hostages and even more hostages. Then we arrive at the Trump administration. We saw some effect of his pressure and the regime backed off. Then came the Biden administration with all this appeasement and releasing money to the regime. And we have October 7th. So where are we today? At the eve of the US elections in 2024 with Iran doing what it's doing right now, the nuclear threat still be there, the Israelis having to do what they have to do, the Saudi starting to sweat as to, okay, where is America so undecisive and what do we need to do in the meantime with the Chinese and the Iranians and what have you? All of this is at play and at stake. And then going back to the original question that you asked, why should America care about Iran? Or why should we even get involved? Or is any time that we pull away from the region, the fact is that you create a vacuum and ultimately the biggest fall that America may have, which is, come to think of it, perhaps China is going to take advantage of the situation and fill that vacuum with the help of the Iranian regime and have total dominance regionally, economically and others. Is that net, net what America would like to face as a result? These are the kind of questions that the advisors to both admin candidates need to think about, irrespective of the divide between the Republicans and Democrats in the country.
- [33:45]
Patrick Bet-David
I agree. I just don't know because when I look at this, your, your father served roughly 38 years, right? From 41 to 79. Your grandfather served from 25 to 41, roughly 16 years, right? These guys been in office for 46 years and they're still in there. So what does that make them better at keeping control than your father and your grandfather? Because when you look at a couple reports, you're talking about executions. Look at this here, Rob. So 2008, Obama gets in, okay? 350 annual executions in Iran. What happens? Goes up to 402, 546, 676, 586, 87, 753. Obama's last year, he had the highest level of executions in Iran last year. Trump comes in, drops immediately 50%. 535, 17, 273, 280, 267, boom. Biden comes back in 333, 582, 834, just skyrocketing to the top. And we just have 20, 23 numbers. And Rob, if you can pull up some of the reports that we have on what just happened with executions. Not this one. Matter of fact, let me just. Let's stay on this and I'll go to the next one. Show the other chart, Rob, that shows who was the most favorable by the Iranian people. I'll give you the thumbs up on the chart that we have, so you can just go to it. It's a chart that shows how favorable was the Shah, how favorable was your father, how favorable was Mossadegh, how favorable was Khomeini, and then Khamenei. And when you look at this, here's what you'll notice. The blue is very favorable. The navy blue is somewhat favorable. Gray is somewhat unfavorable. Red is very unfavorable. Green, no opinion. Look at the left. That's your grandfather, I believe. Yes, he's your grandfather. 1870, 1944, 41.4%, very favorable. 17.7, very unfavorable. Let's just focus on those two numbers. Your father, 32.8, very favorable. 18.4. You know, unfavorable. Very unfavorable. Go to Mossadegh. A lot of people say Mossadegh was the guy. He was the modern day Bernie Sanders. 16.4% very favorable. 12.7, unfavorable. Right. Then you go to Khomeini. 1902 till 89, I lived 10 years in Iran under Khomeini. 20% favorable. Look at the unfavorability rate. You got 58.6% of Iranians unfavorable. Khomeini today, 20.4% exact as Khomeini favorable. That's one out of five. 62% of people, that's three out of five are unfavorable. Even though that's been the case since 79, they've been able to keep rain for 46 years. I mean, how are they able to do this while there's no data that benefits that they're doing the right thing for the people of Iran long term?
- [36:47]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, one aspect is, of course, repression. And I would add to this chart the fact that if you look at the turnout in their most recent elections in Iran, it was the lowest ever. It was the lowest ever show of people to participate in the elections in the past 46 years that you mentioned. Again, showing the element of people moving away from the reform discourse into a change of regime discourse as a rejection.
- [37:15]
Patrick Bet-David
But when you say the lowest ever turnout, that's not a good thing.
- [37:18]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
No, I mean they didn't participate in the regime's elections.
- [37:21]
Patrick Bet-David
So this is the one you're talking about right now.
- [37:23]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I'm talking about the fact that, that the regime itself admits that Iranians are not supportive of the regime.
- [37:28]
Patrick Bet-David
No, but Iran's presidential election, voter turnout. Right. 39.2%. 2024. The second closest. 48. 2021. The way I view this, and please push back, I view this as they've given up.
- [37:40]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
No, that means that they don't validate the regime, or basically the regime always tried to tell the world, look, we are popular, people are participating in our elections, which was of course a fallacy and a farce to begin with, but they always use that as a pretext to claim legitimacy. Yeah, people on purpose don't participate by saying, you know, we boycott the election.
- [38:00]
Patrick Bet-David
No, the way I see it is the following. You know how American polls will say, oh, you know, Hillary Clinton's against the favorite. I mean, it's, it's just such a massive landslide victory. Hillary Clinton over Trump, and then Trump wins polls. Right. And right now with all these conversations that are going on, it's like, oh, it's going to be done, it's over with. And it's like, no, you guys got to go vote. We need voter turnout. Voter turnout. Vote or turnout? Sometimes people stop voting when they think their vote no longer matters because it's not going to happen anything. The way I read this is the Iranian people feel defeated, that their voice doesn't matter. You read this differently than I do.
- [38:39]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Yes, and I'll tell you why. Because, look, if we assume that when in countries that hold free and fair elections and candidates are not pre vetted or pre approved or eliminated by some kind of a filter mechanism imposed by a regime, then of course people have all the incentive to make the difference by voting their conscience. But when people know that it doesn't matter what they say, the regime is going to manufacture an outcome. We saw that at the Green Movement, what happened with Ahmadinejad and Mousavi. This is 2009.
- [39:19]
Patrick Bet-David
Okay, look at that. No, no, stay on that. Rob, go back, go back. You see, that's the highest. That's 84.83% voter turnout.
- [39:27]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Because they were still in the mindset of reform despite the fact that they knew that their candidates are filters.
- [39:33]
Patrick Bet-David
Well, no, but the way I view that is the fact that I see 84.83 as hope, that they had hope that something could happen, that 39.92 now split in half. I look at it as Iranian people have no hope right now.
- [39:44]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Look, you're right, because if you go back to. Even before the Green movement, if you go back to the days of Khatami, 21 million people in Iran voted for. This is 20, 1997.
- [39:59]
Patrick Bet-David
What year was roughly.
- [40:01]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Yeah.
- [40:02]
Patrick Bet-David
Okay, so look at 97, almost 80%.
- [40:06]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, why? Because there was a generation saying, he's the first guy to talk about reform, talk about promises of liberalization and all that. They had a lot of hopes. And guess what happened? The regime started going after the students, threw them for their dormitory rooms to their death. And Khatami at the time said, don't forget one thing. I'm here to protect the regime. That was the first sign of being rejected. Fast forward to 2009. Again, the Iranian people were standing there. They were chanting slogans in English not to practice the linguistic skills. I remember, send a message, Obama, Obama. Yaba una yabama. Which means Obama. Either you're with them or with us. Again, another letter.
- [40:52]
Patrick Bet-David
But here's. I'm studying this data. When you look at a leader, a voice, somebody that's able to rally and get people to go out there and want to do the work, they don't have somebody right now.
- [41:06]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
And I tell you, because the mindset there. And again, despite the fact that people knew that, well, you know, they used to use the terminology and tehobein e badobatar, the choice between worse and worse and worse. Okay, that's not really a choice, but if you're forced into it, you have to. But that what shows in the latest statistics. I don't read the way you read it as a deflation or loss of hope. I mean it as a sign of rejection that they can no longer, the regime can no longer claim legitimacy by saying, look at the rate of participation Iranians have in the election. That's our read. We may agree to disagree.
- [41:45]
Patrick Bet-David
Oh, that's totally fine.
- [41:45]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
But that's our read on it. Why? Because they are tired of this game. People said, you know what? This regime is not going to reform itself. And the reason I have to insist on this point, Patrick, is because it's the key element for world leaders and foreign governments to understand the change of dynamics and paradigm within Iran itself. Because all this time, let's not forget one thing. Whether it was the Europeans or even some people here in the United States, Looking at Iran was always issue. You know, there are elements that are more moderate, are more reformist, maybe we can talk sense with them. And all of that was attempted as part of that behavior change approach that maybe we can come to terms better with those who are less hawkish or less radical than the so called moderate elements. But at the end of the day, when you look at the behavior of the regime, irrespective of who was at the helm, the attitude was basically one and the same. So it didn't make any difference what Khamenei will pull out of his bag of tricks and say, this is the next president. Same thing with Raisi and company all the way to the current guy. Why? Because this is not the people's choice. This is the regime choosing who they would like to bring out of the ballot box, which is a complete mockery of any elective process, which is why it's important for the votes to be counted in countries that respect the principles of free elections and free and fair elections, America included. Of course people should participate in free and fair elections. But why should people participate in a system that doesn't even respect votes, that doesn't give people an opportunity to truly choose their own candidate.
- [43:31]
Patrick Bet-David
That means you've given up on hope though. Because to me, like, if I think about, I just had Maria Corina Machado, who from Venezuela, right? And her. And is it Edmundo? Can you see what Edmundo's last name is? I want to say correctly, I think it's Gonzalez or it's with a G. Edmundo Gonzalez. Uritia Urutia. Yes. So I had Maria Corna Machado on who ran against Maduro in Venezuela. And according to their chart, they ended up winning 67% to Maduro, getting 31. Right? And while I'm interviewing her, she's sitting there and Internet sucks. I can't understand anything she's saying. It was weak, right? And I said, people are no longer interested in Venezuela. You're waiting for Kamala Harrison Biden to help you out. They're not going to help you out. Maduro the other day just got up and said Venezuela and Iran are uniting to be on the same page of war against the West. Wait a minute. He's wanting to remove sanctions, yet you coming back and talking shit about us after you asked them to remove sanctions. Like, what? What are you doing here? I said, you got to get out there. And she says, no, what's working for us? I said, no one's caring about Venezuela right now because there's not a Lot of stories about it. And she says, I disagree with you. I said, I totally get you disagree with me. Well, let me give you a case study. Here's a case study. The case study that worked, which was unbelievable. Case study. I'm in Argentina six years ago. I don't know, four or five, six years ago, let's just say. And I'm going around, and I'm always interested in what the people are going to say. So tell me about your government. Oh, my God. You know, 30% of us work to take care of the other people that are no longer working. And they're just getting handouts, and we're so sick of it. This place is getting destroyed. This used to be the Paris of the west, you know, whatever they called it. You know, Argentina had some phrase that they're giving us, like, the Europe of the west. Argentina is France of the West. I said, okay. I said, but how come nothing's happening with it? And like, oh, we're just. We've lost hope. We've lost hope. We've lost hope. Then shows up a psycho, crazy competitor who's unreasonable and is willing to go to war up against these bureaucrats and aristocrats. And he's sensational. It's very different. Javier. Millie, what does he do? He has the brass to go in front of Klaus Schwab and talk about capitalism. He has the brass to get up there and say all these stuff that he's doing. Everybody around the world is following this guy, and he wins the election. What? And he lowers inflation, and he's able to get the economy, like, back to a little bit of normal, and it's able to go up against all these guys. And how did he pull it off? He was able to inject hope into the Argentinian people. When I see something like that, with the turnout, it tells me Iranians. And by the way, I'm going to transition into this question, and I got a few other things I still want to go through, but I saw a video you posted, I think, two weeks ago, where it went viral. And if you remember the video that I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about, you're speaking in Farsi, so I can show it. I'm sure most of the people watching this, a lot of them will be right.
- [46:24]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
We subtitled it.
- [46:27]
Patrick Bet-David
But the last time you and I spoke, I pressed you a little bit at the end about, hey, nobody understands what it is to be the son of your. Your father, this, you know, grandson of your, and all these other things. Do you want the job? Do you want to go back? Do you want to go back to Iran? Do you want to go back to being that? And you gave your story, and then I pushed back again. You gave your version, and then finally you're like, I'm willing to help. I'm willing to be a vessel, but I don't want to move my family back or I don't want to go back and be that person. Has anything with your position changed since the last time you and I spoke?
- [46:58]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Look, I've always said that my life is dedicated to the liberation of my country. And I've always considered the finish line be the day that Iranians go to the poll and elect their next future democratic government as an instrument, as an agent of change who has been called upon. I'm not shying away from this responsibility. There's tremendous amount of expectations that my fellow compatriots have in the role I can play to help them in that transition. And, you know, I would stick to this line and say, I'm not going to put the carriage before the horse. I think we need to get to the point that then everybody, including yours truly, can say, okay, what's next? But we need to get to that point. And I need to remain focused because I don't want people to be distracted. As to a bunch of hypothetical.
- [47:42]
Patrick Bet-David
You think that way has worked?
- [47:44]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Pardon?
- [47:44]
Patrick Bet-David
You think that strategy has worked?
- [47:45]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, certainly I get the feedback from Iranians that is positive because they see that I'm not doing this for me, I'm doing it for them. That's a big difference.
- [47:52]
Patrick Bet-David
Again, so you have to realize, I would like to see you and I have a similar desire. I do as well, for different reasons. However, the difference is the following. Do you think, like, are there people that you believe would make good leaders for everybody to get behind in Iran? Are there people that you know and you see that you can endorse and vouch for and say, if that guy did it, I'd get behind him. If this guy did it, I'd get behind him. If he did it, I'd get behind him. Do you have certain names that you see?
- [48:23]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I'm certain that Iranians don't lack talent in every aspect of managing and running a country, whether they are entrepreneurs, whether they are special specialists or scientists or good managers and what have you. They just need to have an opportunity to show up under this regime. They could not. All the talent that we've had had either been forced to leave the country because of persecution. They had to live away from their country as excise. They all migrated and became citizens in other countries. And most of them realized that so long as this regime is there, all of these dreams and hopes for rebuilding our country will be unattainable as long as the regime is in place. But immediately, once this regime is gone, everything changes. All the circumstances are provided for all of us, including myself, to be able to help and rebuild our country. But I don't think we need to start putting, you know, titles and positions to anything. I think that has to be a process, which is why I say, look, rather than jumping the gun, let's focus on what needs to happen. I'm prepared to lead this transition. I have taken this as the leader or as a advisor leading the transition.
- [49:38]
Patrick Bet-David
Meaning and going back to the leader.
- [49:40]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
In that transition and going back to Iran. And of course, I can't do it from a distance. I have to be able to be in Iran the minute the circumstances are right for me to be able to be there safely. Of course I will do that and help with that transition, and then we'll see what happens. Let the Iranian people debate.
- [49:58]
Patrick Bet-David
Too much gray area in that answer.
- [49:59]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
But I don't know what part of it is unclear.
- [50:02]
Patrick Bet-David
No, but it's very great. And I'll give you an idea what I mean by it's very okay. And again, don't take this personally in any way. It's just my interests are the same as yours. I want to see that place be peaceful. The world, I will feel more peaceful if that chaotic regime doesn't exist, where they look at us as the enemy and the Western ideology as enemy. And I think tourism back to the Middle east will increase in ways we've never seen before if that regime is no longer there. And, you know, in business, I know guys that every year they make 10 million bucks. They take 100% of profits off the table, right? And I know guys that they'll make 10 million bucks. They put 100 to 10 million bucks back into the business, and next year they make 20 million bucks. They put 100% money back, and then 10 years later they make 370 million bucks. Then they're like, okay, now there's something that we can do. The current regime in Iran doesn't reinvest the resources in Iran like the way your father did. Your father put money back into Iran, and these guys are taking money off the table for themselves. That's why Khamenei's got a $95 billion net worth. That whole family and most people Are not aware of it? No. I think if, again, if we go back to case studies of what's worked, Bukele was like this, boom. I'm the guy. I'm here. I want to do the job. Let's roll. Milei. Boom. I'm the guy. Screw these guys. We're going after them. Here's what we're going to do. Here's why I need your support. And he called out everybody, Trump, I'm the guy. Boom. Here's what's going on with America. The swamp is this boom, boom, boom. Everybody got behind him. I'm the guy. So a part of voter turnout being that low means there is nobody that's going like this. There's a bunch of gray area and no one wants to follow somebody. I've been in leadership and business for a long time. Every time I see a company go like this, there's nobody that's casting a real vision that's clear. The concept of casting a vision Crown prince has to be, in my opinion, I can be wrong, and I'm very comfortable being wrong. The idea of casting a vision has to be voom. It can't be boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. It's got to be boom. Easy to understand, easy to replicate, easy to share with somebody else, easy to say, I'm with this guy. Why? Because of this? Because. And paints the picture of the enemy clearly and people realize who the enemy is. On the Iranian side right now, I don't see that. I don't see. I don't see somebody that's doing this. And I think, frankly, to be very direct. So let's say Trump wins on Tuesday. Let's say he does. Let's assume he does win on Tuesday. And if he doesn't, that's going to get worse the next four years, by the way, these executions and all this stuff just going to get worse. Chaos in the middle is going to get worse and worse because Kamala's way more progressive than Biden is. Biden was a moderate trying to win the progressive vote. Kamala is a progressive trying to make herself seem like moderate. And she's not a moderate. She's never been a moderate. Right. So. But if Trump does win, the strategy on Iran needs to be clear now, because you're not going to get possibly another chance for 10, 15, 20, 30 years. How many candidates are going to come that are going to be like this? Trump's like this. Most of them are very diplomatic. So if you don't have another 20 years to do this, that means it's 46 years that Khamenei, Khomeini, all these guys have added under control. It's going to go for 66 years. I think, I think the Iranian people deserve better to get something right now to say, no, this is our time, we must cease. Let's go. And urgency. Let's go, let's go, let's go. Here's why I don't feel that today. You may say it in a different ways, I just don't. I think the current strategy is still a little bit of gray instead of black and white. Let's roll. Come behind me. We're going to make this happen.
- [54:00]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Okay, so if you allow me to respond, first of all, I define this campaign as a two stage campaign. And I have a five point plan of how to go about it, not only in phase one, which is now until the regime is no longer there, and then what happens right after the regime during a transition to ultimately a secular democratic system. And I think part of the reason most of my compatriots support me in this effort is because in fact they understand my approach. They understand the components of this strategy. I have explained it and there's much more explaining to do and messaging, of course, but incorporates a vision of how to approach this issue. What is needed for us to get there? What do we need to bring maximum support and pressure on the current regime and support for the people? How can we have the Iranian diaspora be effective in influencing foreign governments in coming behind this and help us succeed back home? What happens after Iran changes during the transition period? What is the interim government responsibility? We have economic experts thinking of the first hundred days of how to run that temporary government. We have legal experts focusing on constitutional law, on truth and reconciliation, as to what has to happen with the remnants of the regime, and so on and so forth. There is a newer project that I've started a couple years ago, which we refer to it now as ipp, Iran Prosperity Project, which means what is our roadmap to Iran reconstruction and recovery? How can we bring in the kind of resources, assets, investments from companies and expertise to redress our country's economic vows and problems? All of that is part of the strategy and it's been explained and it's been discussed. The only difference is that if you think that I have to necessarily say I'm running for office will make the difference, I'm telling you we are way ahead of the curve arguing this issue prematurely. Right now my focus is the only job that I think I have and for which I have the most support from my compatriots. And that is to be leading the transition. But in order to lead a fair transition, you cannot be part, you cannot be biased. You have to be completely impartial and neutral that it's not for me to advocate should it be a republic, should it be a monarchy? All I'm telling about my fellow compatriots is that for us to succeed, we need to be able to have a secular democratic system. And the biggest lesson we learn under 46 years of religious totalitarian dictatorship is the fact that we cannot achieve the kind of freedoms we want without having separation of religions from government. That's now a concluded reaction and we had to go through this sad experience to get to this point. Now at the end, what the people want, we will find out. Let the ballot box define that. I believe in the sanctity of the ballot box as being what determines the issue. And ultimately the highest instance in eland that people's representative can legislate and decide for the country is the matchless. It's the parliament want that currently we do not have. So I based everything on the transition period bringing us to a point that we can have that constitutional assembly decide what's best for Iran. And unlike 1979 where Khomeini was an unknown, nobody understood what it means to have an Islamic republic.
- [57:38]
Patrick Bet-David
But they paint the yellow.
- [57:39]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
People had to vote in plain light with some guy standing with a Kalashnikov over a barrel and you had to throw in a green or red.
- [57:48]
Patrick Bet-David
But he took a position though. But he took a position and. And the reason why nobody understood.
- [57:53]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Nobody knew. Including the intellectuals. No, that at the time I thought.
- [57:58]
Patrick Bet-David
It was actually very simple campaign with his tapes. And I listened to a lot of this stuff that this guy, all he's doing is making money. Look at the 2500 year anniversary thing that he put. That's your money. Why should he be spending all that money? If you make me become the leader, I'm going to give that money back to you. We're going to share the wealth together and you're going to have. Everyone's going to have rice and everyone's. I've heard all these speeches many times.
- [58:18]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
False promises.
- [58:19]
Patrick Bet-David
It is. But it worked. Meaning it is. But at least he was casting something. He was casting a vision. I think when I good or bad candidate, it doesn't have to be. You can learn from everybody on the way they did it. I just think sometimes when you go.
- [58:36]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
By the way, I think I'm casting a better vision. Than Khomeini, who talked about free electricity.
- [58:41]
Patrick Bet-David
I don't disagree.
- [58:42]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I'm talking about something that President Trump emphasized, that bringing the Khanate regime into the fold of the Abraham Accords as if it's what's going to happen. I tell you what, when I was in Israel a year ago at a press conference, what I said was, I hope the day will come that Iran will bring the Abraham Accord to the Cyrus Accord, meaning Iran is part of that. A different Iran, an Iran where the Iranian people are not at war with the Jews or Israel, are not at war with the Arabs in the region, are not trying to instigate chaos in the whole world, but Iranians who want to live at peace and a vision of that future. You mentioned my message to the region and all the feedback it got. Why isn't that a vision I talked about?
- [59:29]
Patrick Bet-David
There is, but respectfully, there is having a clear vision and executing.
- [59:34]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, executing has to have the means, which is why I'm saying it's not going to happen by itself.
- [59:39]
Patrick Bet-David
Let me ask you.
- [59:39]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Part of it is what foreign governments can do. There can be an obstacle to that and make it more difficult for us to succeed. Or they could be on the right side of history this time.
- [59:48]
Patrick Bet-David
You remember the two people that came and flew from France to meet with me multiple times in 2015 in LA, 24. I don't know, maybe you wouldn't. When we had the first meeting, you and I in dc? Do you remember the first meeting you and I had in dc? It was me, you and cmx and we had a three hour lunch together. I have the pictures. We've talked about this before.
- [60:09]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
To be honest, I don't recall exactly what we were discussing.
- [60:12]
Patrick Bet-David
No, I know this. The discussion was just a. It was an introductory discussion. But there were two people that I was speaking to who were with your camp. One's guy's name was Reza and there was another girl and they were from France.
- [60:28]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Right.
- [60:29]
Patrick Bet-David
I wrote and I think we've spoken about them before. I'm trying to find it. I wrote a 10 page proposal to you on my sincere thoughts. Did those ever make it to you or.
- [60:39]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
No, Patrick, honestly, I don't remember. It's been long ago.
- [60:43]
Patrick Bet-David
Because I'm gonna. I'm gonna try to find that and send it over privately.
- [60:47]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I don't even want to at the time. I think you're referring to the Iran National Council for Free Elections in Iran, which was at the time what we were trying to organize the opposition to say, look, we want free and fair elections in Iran. This regime is not providing us, which explained the reason why we say we need to go beyond this regime so we can have political circumstances in Iran for people to be able to participate in free and fair elections. That was the premise and the basis of that council back then, right around the same time of the Green Movement. It was, I think I found it.
- [61:18]
Patrick Bet-David
Nazila Goldstein is who it was. And it was a. Yeah, I found it right now. And I, if I find this letter I'm going to send, by the way, this is in 2015. Yes, is when this was when we had the conversation. And then if I find this letter, I want to forward it to you privately. I'm going to send it to you, where it's just you and I for you to read. Because when I think about last 46 years, who has been the most constant voice in helping Iran be free again? If I was. We can't say at the beginning stages, because at the beginning stages, you were, you were. You just had a birthday yesterday. Right. Happy birthday to you, by the way.
- [61:58]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Thank you.
- [61:58]
Patrick Bet-David
Halloween, right? October 31st. Two days ago you had a birthday. And when I think about. So you're, I think you're 64, if I'm not mistaken. So when. 79, 25. You were 19 at the time. So. And you left a little bit earlier. Right. Because you were doing the fighting. And we talked about this last time.
- [62:17]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Right.
- [62:18]
Patrick Bet-David
But if we were to say during that 45 years, since 79, the number one draft pick, and I'm using an example of sports, the number one draft pick of somebody that can bring freedom back to Iran has been you. If it's been you. I don't know what other names have been up there, but you've always been the top three. During that entire time till today, my only, my only request would be for there to be a more crisper, clear vision and painting the picture of the enemy with a high level of urgency, where there's a bigger turnout and the people are willing to do something, because I believe if Trump wins on Tuesday, this will be the last chance of you being able to do so, possibly in you and I's lifetime. Maybe we're going to get one more chance in the next 20 years, but if the other side comes in and they're able to do what they're doing, you're not going to find another Trump type of a candidate for at least 20 to 30 years, that kind of a candidate where Iran fears the way they did with Reagan back in 84 when he got elected and whatever the year was when they're like, you know, they released the prisoners and he gave credit to Carter. It's the only thing I'm suggesting to you is to have a little bit more urgency of being able to do that. And if you're going to say you're going to be the guy, be clear, be crisp, and paint the enemy in a way that everybody wants to get behind it. That's an unsolicited advice. You have to do nothing with a walk in and say, this guy has no clue what he's talking about. But I'm coming from a place of wanting to see this become a reality.
- [63:56]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Okay, but let's talk turkey, please. It takes two to tango. Okay, fair enough.
- [64:01]
Patrick Bet-David
But the leader needs to lead.
- [64:03]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Okay, but I can only do as much as I can doing my part together with my fellow compatriots.
- [64:08]
Patrick Bet-David
Okay.
- [64:09]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
The element that has been missing all these years was not the fact that Iranians are not resilient, not the fact that you say they have given up hope. I say if I had given up hope, they wouldn't still be on the streets fighting, getting shot in the eye.
- [64:23]
Patrick Bet-David
39% voter turnout worse than 20 years.
- [64:26]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
That doesn't mean that I've given up. They are resilient on the streets, but they are also sending a clear signal to the world. We're not going to validate or legitimize the regime by participating in their mock elections. That's the way you ought to be reading it, because I think that's the correct read, not one that are deflated and given up. If they had given up, they'll be at their home and going about quiet.
- [64:47]
Patrick Bet-David
Vision for the night. Cast the clear vision.
- [64:48]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
But that's just to set up the scenery. So what are we saying? What am I saying? Representing that alternative and ask that the Iranian people. What is the ask of the Iranian people from the US Government? Let's try to analyze that. Number one, they say we are your natural allies. You keep throwing us under the bus, ignoring us and trying to cut a deal with our enemies within the status quo. In what other ways can we tell you that while we've been killed here, repressed here, and we are the people that can come to terms with you, they don't even need to persuade us. We want to be with you. We want to rejoin the free world, but you're not helping us in any way. Every opportunity that we spoke, you have thrown us under the bus. And I think the question is perhaps clearer, should it be President Trump winning the elections in a couple of days as opposed to Kamala Harris, which probably is going to be a continuation of the Biden administration. I have no indication that that has changed drastically in terms of approach. But let's say if he's President Trump, is it going to be a halfway job, you raise it yourself, is it going to be okay, enough pressure, they give up on the nuclear, then we can pack our bags and go back home. We don't want to get involved in any conflict. And the Iranian people say, hold on, what about us? What about what will happen to us Iranians? And by the way, again, let me emphasize, Patrick, I'm not talking about this only because it suits and benefits the Iranian people. It will affect every country in our immediate region. I know this because I talk to them. I talk to Israelis, I talk to Arabs, I talk to Lebanese, I talk to Iraqis, I talk to Syrians. I know even Pakistan and Afghanistan, of course, not the Taliban. But I can tell you what the sentiments regionally is. A change in Iran will affect everyone positively.
- [66:42]
Patrick Bet-David
I don't disagree.
- [66:43]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, I'm not sure if the current apparent things that we can read between the lines of you say by President Trump has said no President Trump, I'm talking about President Trump. Where is it exactly? That's a foggy area. You were telling me that I'm being gray. I think I'm clear as possibly.
- [67:04]
Patrick Bet-David
So let me, let me push back. But let's, let's, let's, let's do this.
- [67:07]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Because this is what we're doing our part, but we cannot do it all by ourselves. I also said one thing to Iranians.
- [67:12]
Patrick Bet-David
Bukele did it because US helped him. Do you think Malay did it because us helped them? Do you think Milei and Bukele did it because US got involved and they were able to do something? You think Venezuela being where Venezuela's at, okay, And Maria Corina Machado, who is wanting to free Venezuelans from a dictator like Maduro, who has destroyed an incredible society that was the most beautiful place of people having the most oil in the world. They had wealth. They had. It was just a great. So the people, Venezuelan people are phenomenal people. Do you think that regime is going to fall with just the help or do you think some of these guys that are making it happen? There's only so much the regime can do. There even there needs to be somebody that's just a relentless, crazy, direct visionary, crystal clear that people are going to say, I'm going to go and do something with this. Year. I just think that's been soft the last few years. And all I'm saying is, if we walk away, if you walk away from this interview and you and I, you're like, you know what? Who the hell does this guy think he is? I'm comfortable with that. If you say this guy doesn't know what he's talking about, I'm comfortable with that. All this stuff. But if you leave and then all of a sudden everything is boom and, you know, crystal fire, all this stuff that we're hearing, and there's a resurrection of this 39% that goes back to 83%. All I'm saying is I'm creating urgency to know you got four years. If it's not four years, it's in 20 years. And not 20 years may never come. And if that 20 years never come, you may never in your lifetime be able to go back to Iran, where you have some of the greatest memories of your life with your mother, with your dad, with your siblings, memories of plane outside flying planes, all the stuff that you did that may never happen in your lifetime if there's not more urgency. And I'm very comfortable being 100% wrong with what I'm saying. I'm not trying to do this with. For example, I had Erik Prince on. I don't know if, you know, Erik Princes. Erik Prince was on, and he used to be the founder of. Is it Blackwater? Rap Blackwater. I don't know if you're familiar with Eric Prince or not. One of the things I asked him, I said, you know, if you were to be giving the assignment. I don't think this is the one, Rob. I think you got to go to the second one. The first one is the fact that father. You know what I'm talking about. There's two clips. You got to go to the second one, and I asked him a question about what to do with Iran. Here's what his answer was. I'm curious to know what you'll say about this. Go ahead, Rob. Like some ideas. If we wanted to bring democracy back to Iran and whether it's a revolution or change the regime. Come on, man. How would you go about doing Eric? Of course I've thought about that. But you think I'm going to talk.
- [70:01]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
About it on camera?
- [70:02]
Patrick Bet-David
Give me three things. I mean, you know, it's just this. First of all, we have a small podcast. Probably 17 people will watch this, okay? And the 17 people that watch it, they're all going to be Ronnie or just so you know, that. But if, if I know you can't. Do you in your mind know? Like, do you. I know exactly what I do. You know exactly what you. You would do. Absolutely. Who else knows? Ah, some of my friends. Okay, good. So what I'm saying, it's in. So if I get clipped, the mission would be. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm asking is like, no, look, think about this way. Reagan took office in 1981 and he sat in the Oval Office because we'd had a policy of containment for 35 years. And he said, enough. We're gonna fuck the commies. We're gonna go at them economically, politically, culturally, socially, in all ways. We push back. I remember that speech. Fuck the commies. It was, no, I get what you're saying. I'm with you. Maybe he said it behind closed doors. Watch my podcast Off Leash with Erik Prince and see Jack Wheeler. Put the link below, by the way, so the audience can find it. Jack Wheeler was the guy that went abroad and brought back all the ideas which became the Reagan Doctrine from all the places to push back on the Soviets. And I mean, he's the closest thing to a real life Indiana Jones. Anyway, I digress. What they did what? The US working in concert with the Catholic Church in MI6 in Poland, provided communications equipment to the shipyard workers, the Solidarity movement, students, farmers, the church, all sorts of communications. And the means to communicate is essential. There's a fantastic book called the Dictator's Handbook. You can pause it right there. It's actually a very good book. Dictator's Handbook book's a very good book. So the reason why I asked him this question is because US military is probably not going to get involved. They're just not going to get involved.
- [72:01]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
They don't need to get involved.
- [72:02]
Patrick Bet-David
Right, but if they don't need to get involved, you know, and Iranians are sitting there thinking their vote doesn't matter anyways, 39% turnout. You're going to need to find a creative way to get in there to do something outside of the way that it's been. Right. How was that strategy going to be just without US military involvement? I asked him. He's a private military contractor. He's done a lot of work for a lot of different people. I think I won the. One of the biggest contract he got was a $600 million contract, Rob, if I'm not mistaken, with the CIA, this, this guy was one of the most hated guys in America. Right. Have you thought about anything like this with PMCs?
- [72:42]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Look, let me go back to what you were pointing out before. Part of the reason I enjoy so much popularity, respect and support by Iranians, including the Gen Z, is because I've stayed the course for 44 years. When I was first in Cairo sending my first message to Iran. At that time the Carter administration brought pressure to impeach the satellite transmission to be made so that people in Iran could hear my message. Okay, So I never depended on any foreign support in order for us to achieve our freedom. In fact, I've been telling my fellow Iranians we should never depend on anybody else than ourselves. But it will be so much easier for us to succeed if we had support from the outside world. That's the game changer. Look, Lancelot Mandela could tell you this if he was still alive. Lech Velesa, Vaclav Havel could tell you how difference it was because they actually had support. When was people like Sakharov or for that matter the dissidents in the Soviet Union, in Siberia, lose hope Talking about Ronald Reagan the day he called Russia an evil empire. Yes, I've been saying that twice. We've seen how the west prevailed during the Second World War, putting an end to the Nazis because you had a Roosevelt in Washington and a Winston Churchill in London. And then you had Ronald Reagan in Washington and Margaret Thatcher in London. Today facing Putin and Xi in China and Russia. What is the equivalent in the Western world? We shouldn't be surprised therefore, that regimes like the one in Iran survive all these years because a the misread on their attitude and nature was a big flaw. But now in 2024, people in Iran are on the street fighting the fight. They know that I'm not a miracle worker. They know that we need to have some foreign support. They know that I'm not sitting back waiting for some military coup to occur for us to succeed. Because I've said that, I said we don't require any of that. What I did say, however, and continue to say, and this is my message to both candidates, that in two or three days will end up winning the elections in the US is understanding where Iran and Iranians are today. Understand where the Iranian people are and where the regime is. You should focus on the Iranian people for the first time in 45 years, as you put it, as opposed to focus on the regime and what should we do with this regime? Because the regime will never give you the solution to the problem. The Iranian people, on the other hand, will. My entire strategy is based on the Iranian people prevailing over this regime because they'd be the first one to tell you and I and the rest of the world how similar in thinking and values they are with Americans, with French, with Swedes, people living in free countries. We have to absorb all of that. We are dying to get there. And the only obstacle between us and the free world is this regime. So what is our ask therefore from the would be next government? And I agree with you that we don't have all the time in the world. So that's exactly where we have to have a meeting of minds. So far we've been running on parallel tracks. This is only this much that I and my fellow compatriots could do under the best of circumstances. Is it enough to tip the balance? I don't know. History will tell us. But I can tell you one thing. We can increase dramatically our chances of success if this time we have government who say, you know, we had enough with this regime. It is time we look at the Iranian people in an alternative and let's give them a chance to succeed as opposed to give a regime a chance to change its behavior. If that shift of strategy begins to be marked in terms of American foreign policy, we're finally getting in a direction that could lead to a proper solution.
- [76:47]
Patrick Bet-David
What do you think about what Erik Prince said? Private military contractor, but I don't know.
- [76:52]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
What he said because, you know, I don't understand what was the idea, the.
- [76:55]
Patrick Bet-David
Idea of using a PMC to coincide and, and you know, raising enough money to be able to have someone like him go help with the regime? Have those thoughts ever crossed your mind or no?
- [77:10]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, are we talking about sort of covert operations and coup plots and that kind of stuff? I don't think that the change in Iran is occurring through those means. But look, we saw what happened in Iraq and the de baathification process. Nothing to replace it with. Basically living to some kind of a failed state solution? I don't think that's a problem in Iran. Look, for the most part, and in a scenario of survivability post regime change, a lot of it depends on as long as elements that don't have their hands soiled in the blood of the Iranian people that will have to face justice one day. But imagine how much you can maximize defections by telling those elements that they can survive regime change, that they don't need to stick with this regime to the bitter end, thinking that we are coming back with revenge and want to settle score with the people who repressed us for 44 years. Iranians are tired of war, of conflict of repression. They want to be able to breathe and free and live normally, but they need to be given an opportunity. We're bringing structure, we're bringing principles of rule of law. We're bringing elements that are the prerequisites to what modern society depend on to survive. That discipline, that understanding, I believe exists in Iran. Don't think that the Iranian people have been brainwashed. In fact, you mentioned something that was interesting in your own childhood, that you were raised in a climate that in schools that were teaching you to chant slogans of death to America and this and that. And, you know, a lot of the feedback I get into from today's gen Z, young Iranians in their teens or early twenties, they say we were all subject to that. But, you know, the gig is up. We know the truth. We've done our own due diligence.
- [79:02]
Patrick Bet-David
It is.
- [79:02]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
But we understand our history. So the elements for change, the desire for change and the understanding for change is there. How do you further motivate them? How do you further empower them? Is exactly what I'm talking about. This is not rhetoric. How can you empower people to actually succeed against extremely repression?
- [79:20]
Patrick Bet-David
So I've been working on.
- [79:21]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
It's not going to be cooled by some special ops undercover things. I don't think that's the solution.
- [79:26]
Patrick Bet-David
I'll give you a crazy thing here. So I wrote this book, the Academy. The story, the Academy I've been working on for 13 years, it's story about your father's in it. It's about the Iranian revolution, a kid who gets recruited to a secret society, and they help develop leaders that go around the world and do big things. And the villain in the book is a SAVAK member that turns against the Shah. Okay. And when I wrote this book, this villain was the former deputy director of savak. And I've been writing about this guy for many years. Story gets out, and all of a sudden this gentleman calls me and we start having a conversation together and says, hey, somebody wants to talk to you. No problem. And we get on a zoom together. And he says, I was a former deputy director of savak. I said, really? Yeah. Okay, interesting. I look, I'm like, this is the guy. So I said, you know, you wrote a book apparently that you're talking about savak? Yeah, I'd like to read it. I send it to him. He reads the book, comes back, calls me, schedules a time. Him and his wife come to my house, and we spent eight, nine hours together. Great conversation. And this is Parvisabeti, which I'm sure you know who he is and I'm. I'm sure you've had conversations with him and, or maybe you haven't. I don't know if you've had conversations with them or not. So this guy was a former. If you can pull him up, Rob, when, when, you know, you hear some stories. Parviz Sabati, Rob, there is no videos on him, but if you type in parvees with a Z, sub, E, T S, a B e T I right there, that's him. And if you go to his Wikipedia, some of the stuff that he did as a SAVAK member to go in, and I'm sure you've seen the documentaries or the stories and you know how he was able to get in and get some of the Hezbollahs with women and, you know, get them to do what they. This, this guy was a. He had an element of J. Edgar Hoover, but he had an element of understanding how to control some of these guys. And he worked under your father. Probably the relationship didn't end on the best note, but they were there where, hey, these two day people and the Khomeini people, we have to take them a little bit more seriously. You know, we can't be this naive to think that this guy's weak and he can't topple you and get rid of you. Right. So the entire premise of this is of a couple moments of either missed opportunities, naivete or arrogance that we all flirt with, all leaders flirt with. That's that no one's free from it. Like, it's not like, oh, you're such a noble, humble guy. You're never going to flirt with these things. Right. Do you think it's a bit naive or even a little bit arrogant or maybe overly confident to think that, you know, this approach that we're going with can, the very traditional, logical approach is going to be the one that's going to bring freedom back to Iran, or there needs to be some creative ways to be able to go up against a regime like Khamenei that are capable of doing anything. You have to be able to fight with them. Like if you wrestle with a pig, you know, you sometimes got to get down and dirty with them. Do you think that needs to be the case or do you think it needs to be. No, the traditional way of doing things.
- [82:44]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
You know, Patrick, one thing that is interesting is that having had the benefit of time for people to contemplate, do their own diligence and research, it's very interesting that the younger people in Iran today, who, by the way, reproach their parents, what were you thinking of backing up this revolution? Were often critical of my father in the sense of, if he knew what was going to happen to us, how could he possibly allow this to happen? In other words, they blame him for having allowed his arch enemies basically succeeding and taking over. But the same students who today revere him, chant his name, and as a result, say, the legacy that I have on my shoulders is as a result of when they call my grandfather and they say, may he rest in peace, Reza Shah Ruhad Shahad, or the way my father today is revered in Iran, forget the fact that their peers in that age group back then were asking for his head. And imagine. That's my point. Imagine if my father, who, by the way, did warn many, look, understand what will be the consequence, not just in Iran, but for the whole region, that Iran will become Iranistan. It didn't take more than a year for the Russians to invade Afghanistan, by the way, after the Iranian revolution, the whole area went south. Don't you think my father knew what was going to happen? He had two choices. Either stand there, push back, arrest a bunch of people, execute them and maintain power, or, say, look, after 37 years of reign, I'm not going to crack down on my own people. And he voluntarily left the country. It was a choice that he made consciously. Yours truly will not be sitting here with this amount of support from Iranians, because the same people who revere my father would have said he was a tyrant that tried to stay by killing his people. And he would have gone in history as a bloodthirsty tyrant, a little bit like Ceausescu at the end of the Cold War. So let's understand what it is that is at play here. It's damned if you do, damned if you don't. Well, I tell you what. I think my father made the rational, logical, moral decision, and which is why people today say that, and I understand why people are frustrated. Some young people say if he knew all of what was going to happen to us, he should have stood there, fight. Why did he desert us? But they would have said the completely different thing had he actually done that. He would not be known as a patriot and somebody who built that country. They would say, look at this. He's killed so many of us. And the question is, let's assume he did that for a second. Would it really have made the difference? Would it really have changed things? There was euphoria at the time, Patrick. University professors were swearing that they Saw Khomeini's face in the moon. You cannot reason with that mentality. So, yes, there was a huge momentum as a result of the Marxists on the one hand, and on the Islamists on the other hand. That certainly did not like our relationship with the Western world, particularly with America. That is the core of this regime ideology. It's anti Western, anti Israeli, anti American thing. As I said, it's not just a slogan. They actually believe that. But today's generation said, we're not them. Today's generation said, whoever among our parents who thought that was the solution. And you pointed earlier that Khomeini had a message or had the clarity of vision. Well, today understand his. Understand what that vision was all about. It had nothing to do about it.
- [87:03]
Patrick Bet-David
Oh, but that's irrelevant.
- [87:04]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Nothing to do.
- [87:05]
Patrick Bet-David
No, I understand that, but it just tells you how effective it was. You have to give it credit for effectiveness.
- [87:09]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Yeah, we can't fool the people some of the time, but ultimately you cannot fool all of the people.
- [87:14]
Patrick Bet-David
For 46 years, they've had rain. For 46 years, they've had rain of that place with some insane policies.
- [87:22]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
It took the Russians almost 80 years to get rid of communism.
- [87:26]
Patrick Bet-David
Do you want to wait that long?
- [87:27]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
No, I'm not saying we need to wait that long. That's lesson in history. We should not wait that long. But then again, why do you ask me the question?
- [87:33]
Patrick Bet-David
Yeah.
- [87:33]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
This question should be posed to Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. Do you understand the consequences of continuing in a policy that actually, that's not their number one. Keeps this regime. Well, it's not the number one.
- [87:45]
Patrick Bet-David
It doesn't need to be their number one. Okay, but that doesn't need to be their number one. Needs to be. It needs to be the Iranian people's number one, not his number number one.
- [87:51]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
No, no, I understand. Okay, I understand. But let's say apart from domestic American politics.
- [87:56]
Patrick Bet-David
Sure.
- [87:56]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Economy. This.
- [87:57]
Patrick Bet-David
This Fine. Foreign affairs.
- [87:58]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Foreign affairs.
- [87:59]
Patrick Bet-David
Right.
- [87:59]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Okay. What's at stake right now?
- [88:01]
Patrick Bet-David
A lot.
- [88:02]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Okay, let's talk about it a little bit.
- [88:04]
Patrick Bet-David
What were China want to go with? Sure.
- [88:06]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Russia.
- [88:07]
Patrick Bet-David
Okay.
- [88:08]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
The conflict with the Ukraine.
- [88:09]
Patrick Bet-David
Sure.
- [88:10]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
The Middle east, the escalation, the nuclear threat, terrorism, radicalism, et cetera. Today you're talking about American universities fomenting anti American, anti Israeli or Jewish rhetoric, financed and trained by the Iranian regime and so on and so forth. How could this not be an element? Under consideration of brushing it under the rug and trying to say, you know what? We had enough with dealing with the Middle east and its problems. You cannot just abandon ship in that sense. Because if you think you don't want to get involved, they will keep you involved, they will force you to get involved. And again, you have to think about the solution not being how can we contain them or how can we expect them to change their behavior, but say, let the difference be a different Iran under different circumstances. We need to have a meeting of minds. Otherwise, doesn't matter what me and Iranians are going to do, as long as the world, and especially at its leadership in the free world, in the Western world, America, that has a big role to play here, depending on what they end up doing or not, could be the game changer. I'm telling you very honestly what I think it is. I don't disagree with you on that point. We don't have time to waste. And I'm not the only one saying that. I bet you many people in the region think exactly the same. And what has led them to be confused is because the hesitancy or lack of will to do anything from this end in Washington.
- [89:30]
Patrick Bet-David
I don't think. I don't think Trump's going to go as far as he's going to go. I think Trump's going to go as far I think the way he is as a leader. So I had conversation with his son, right? Eric, Trump was here, what, last week or a week and a half ago?
- [89:45]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Last week.
- [89:45]
Patrick Bet-David
Last week. And when he was here, he said, when he told me he's running for office, he says, eric, you're going to run the whole business. What are you talking about? I've never ran this before. You have it, you got it, right? But you got this. You're going to be fine, right? And he has to figure out a way how to make it work. His father was a stylist. You got to figure out how to make, make your work. I think Trump's going to help you and say, hey, here's what I'm going to do. Boom, boom, boom. Rest is on you. You want it, do something about it. That's what he's going to do. I don't think. He's not Iranian, okay? He's an American. His priorities, America. Legacy is his mom and dad. Legacy is his kids. Legacy is, you know, Israel. What. You know, what he's done with Israel. And you know, it's not, let me see what's going to happen with Iran. I think he will go as far as empowering Israel to choose to do what it wants to do with Iran, but not itself. It'll go as far as helping Israel do it, you saw what's going on with one Hezbollah leader gets killed, then the next one, the replacement, gets killed, then the next one gets killed, and the new one just got hired. And God knows he's probably got a few days left. His days are numbered. Right. So Israel's doing their part against Iran, but Trump's not going to get involved. Right. I think there needs to be a painting of the picture that's crystal clear for something to be taking place. By the way, just out of curiosity, and I know I'm. I'm going. Does it at all. Your father passed away at 61 years old, I believe.
- [91:04]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Right about.
- [91:05]
Patrick Bet-David
Did it at all mess with you that you're now older than him? Does it do anything to, as a son of your father, that he died at 61, you're 64, or. No, that thought doesn't cross your mind.
- [91:12]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Every now and then?
- [91:13]
Patrick Bet-David
Every now and then. It's got to be kind of a little bit strange feeling, right?
- [91:17]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, I mean, you know, a lifetime is a lifetime. There's only as much as you could do in a lifetime. And I hope that I would have the ability to save my country in my lifetime, obviously. So, you know, age does count at some point.
- [91:32]
Patrick Bet-David
You look very healthy, though. I mean, it's just, I wonder, like, in your mind, like, yeah, look, we.
- [91:38]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Are all human, right? It's not unnatural to have these kind of thoughts. But, okay, let's go back to Trump or what we think that President Trump is willing to do and where would be his. Okay, beyond that is yours. I think that what I'm asking for is something that he would be able to do without going beyond what he likes to do. I know he thinks like a businessman. No businessman wants to have. I mean, war is not good for business. Everybody wants to avoid conflict. We're not asking for conflict. In fact, I think what I'm proposing will help avoid conflict. But if we don't do this part, conflict will become inevitable. And all I'm asking is that, okay, you tried and you succeeded when you implemented in your first term, maximum pressure when you walked out of the jcpoa, which, by the way, was not something that affected the Iranians positively, regardless of what the Obama administration was thinking at the time. But that's a halfway thing, what I'm asking for, and I'm not asking beyond that, let's be very clear what my ask is. I'm saying parallel to maximum pressure, you have to have an element of maximum support to at least give the Iranian people, a more equal playing field. Nothing beyond that. I'm not asking for America's direct intervention. I'm not asking for military intervention. I'm not talking about spending American taxpayer dollars on the issue. But if you give us those two components, then fair enough that the rest is up to us Iranians. But if you're going to come and say the Iranian people, you know what, if we can guarantee that the regime is not going to do anything beyond the nuclear threat, that's good enough for us. The rest, we don't care. That basically means, you know what, the regime can stay there, continue massacring its own people. We don't care. That's fine with us. We can live with that. Is that the message that America wants to send the Iranian people? And that's something for both camps to consider? Yeah, that's part of the question.
- [93:42]
Patrick Bet-David
Here's what would be interesting. Rob, can you check to see, did President Trump ever visit Iran while he was the president?
- [93:48]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
No, no, but much earlier in his days. There are picture of him in Tehran, I believe.
- [93:52]
Patrick Bet-David
No, no, I'm telling when he was president, 16. Did he visit 16 to 20 or. No. Like, did he go meet with any of the leaders in Iran or not?
- [93:59]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I don't know if they had any, any secret meetings in other places.
- [94:03]
Patrick Bet-David
Nothing. I'm not talking.
- [94:04]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I don't know.
- [94:05]
Patrick Bet-David
Did you find anything or.
- [94:06]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
No, I'm searching right now.
- [94:07]
Patrick Bet-David
This is a list of the just do control f Iran. I did and it's. Nothing showed up. Okay. So this would be interesting and I think it would be. I think it'd be a major milestone for respectfully to you, Crown prince to pull off is if Trump visited North Korea, which North Korea is a bigger threat than Iran. Some would say in the Middle east it's Iran, but North Korea, you know, Kim Jong Un, his positions, the stuff he says, very radical. He went there, he visited anybody and everybody. It'd be very interesting if he went and visited Iran and accompanied. You went with him with the team. Oh, my God, that would be a weird visit if you guys were to go there and have the conversations. That image of you sitting across from them with Trump next to you, that now that's a moment in history that I'd like to see. That I'd like to see. And I wonder, like, I got questions that I don't even know if I want to ask live. I wonder who's on your team. I wonder who's on. Who's the people that are doers on your team that can get stuff done. I wonder who's working. I got. I got a lot of those types of questions, but we're coming to the end. I got a couple other questions I want to ask, and then we'll wrap up. Rob, can you pull up that one clip with Erik Prince? He said this, and I'm curious if you can validate this or not. Is this true? Go ahead and play this clip. If you know this did happen to your father at the end or not, I'm sure if anybody can validate it, it's you. Go ahead, Rob. Let's just say hypothetically. And you know what? Someone just told me that the Shah converted to Christianity before he died. Did he really? I've heard that story. Yep. Yeah. This is his last book he wrote before he died. Answer to history. I just had a son on. Is that true?
- [95:58]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Totally untrue.
- [95:59]
Patrick Bet-David
Okay.
- [96:00]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
One of my aunts did about years ago, before the revolution.
- [96:03]
Patrick Bet-David
He did not. Did that story circulate among some people.
- [96:08]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
That they said, I have no idea where it came from, but it's part of the same webs of lies.
- [96:13]
Patrick Bet-David
And were you bedside when he passed away? Were you?
- [96:15]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Yes, I was in Cairo in the Mahdi Hospital.
- [96:17]
Patrick Bet-David
If anybody knows that it didn't happen, you would know. Okay, so you just validated the story Writer. That was easy to you. Took you a second to say that you yourself, your faith. How do you see yourself right now with your faith? What do you practice?
- [96:31]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I would say, you know, in the principles of what I believe should be the case is I never would. I would never question a fellow Iranians what he or she believes in or not be. Why? I would say that I think that if you understand that if you have faith or follow a particular religion, it should be a private matter to begin with. It should not matter what you believe in or what I believe in. This is a private matter to us. It shouldn't be subject to scrutiny. It's the guarantee of having the freedom of choice in whatever we choose to believe or practice, whether it's faith or anything else. And therefore, it shouldn't matter what is my faith. And I'm saying this for a predominantly religious country, but the read on the streets today is Iranians will be not at odds with what I just said. They would have been 50 years ago. Not today. Not today. Because if you look at what is happening in Iran today as a result of imposing an ideology, a religious one at that matter. When you look at what happened to religious minorities in Iran, to the Baha'is who are Forbidden of having higher education in Iran to the Jews in Iran. The highest rate of convergence in Iran today is Christianism, believe it or not, under a so called religious and most mosques closing down. By the way, all of this means that people say, listen, we ought to be able to freely practice without fear and punishment. So the principle that I would like to bring to the table here today, it shouldn't matter what I have as a faith or not. It should be about the principles and values of freedom.
- [98:05]
Patrick Bet-David
You think a Christian man could be a leader in Iran or no.
- [98:09]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I hope one day Iranians will not worry about whether or not their leader is a female or a male or a Jew or a Christian or an atheist. It should not be that the number.
- [98:18]
Patrick Bet-David
Of mosques located in town has declined from 20% in 2010 to 6%. And Rob, if you can pull up the story I just sent you right now from CBN, Iran's Jesus Revolution. Mosques close to as 1 million Muslims accept Christ, which is very, very interesting to see this underground project that's taking place in Iran with that, it's great to see. Last question. Again, this is selfish for me, not for anybody.
- [98:46]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Hold on. You offered an image. Let me tell you right now, please go for it. Look, I can only. Whatever I end up doing, I'm basing everything that I have only and solely on my fellow Iranians and their resources. Nothing foreign, governmental or otherwise. The image of me coming along with a foreign leader simply means that, that I'm a puppet of that government or country. I don't want President Trump to come and say I endorse EZ Pahlavi. I need President Trump and say I will stand with the Iranian people and on their side and help them succeed.
- [99:21]
Patrick Bet-David
He's already said that.
- [99:22]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Okay, but that's halfway. As I said, the components of maximum support is missing. If that is added. Fair enough, Mr. President. We're not asking you to go beyond that. The rest is on us. But at least you've given us a real chance for succeeding.
- [99:34]
Patrick Bet-David
I think he's done that.
- [99:35]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, let's see. That's the question.
- [99:37]
Patrick Bet-David
I think he's done.
- [99:37]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
He's already done maximum pressure. Yes. Maximum support was not really existent. We need to build that into the equation. Maximum, more direct support for the Iranian people. Give them, give them the money. It could technology, it can be communication.
- [99:53]
Patrick Bet-David
Elon can give Starlink and those types of things that can happen.
- [99:56]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
There's been, well, it's under his watch. I mean, look, you can easily sanction, you can easily, you know, remove some of the restrictions that exist so we can better have. This is a matter of policy.
- [100:07]
Patrick Bet-David
Did you see the story that just came out 45 minutes before we started the interview? I don't know if you saw the story or not. Literally just came out from New York Post 45 minutes before he walked in. Iran claims it can build nukes. Threatens Israel and us with toothbreaking retaliation. 10:12 Eastern Standard Time. I think we started after that at 11 o'clock go the low rap. So Iran claimed they could build a nuclear weapon as Supreme Leader on Saturday threatened the US and Israel with toothbreaking response to Israel strike on Iranian military legend Ayatollah Khamenei spoke with students ahead of the anniversary 1979 seizure at the US embassy in Tehran. The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a toothbricking response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front. And he continues, if you go, this is at 85 years ago, a little lower. Rob, if you could. And the comments came after David Top advisor issued a warning about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Adviser Kamala said Friday the country could alter its policies on using nuclear weapons if the threat seems big enough. Go Lelor. If an existential threat arises, Iran will modify its nuclear doctrine. We have the capability to build weapons and have no issue in this regard. He said. Your thoughts on this?
- [101:17]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Yeah, this was yesterday. And he basically said we're only limited by a fat law that has forbidden us to go towards that direction. In other words, we can change that anytime. But. But in that context, let's remember one thing, how fragile and vulnerable this regime is. There are basically puffing and huffing a lot. But the fragility of this regime comes down to Ali Khamenei himself, who, by the way, he is the one who is the problem, not the people of Iran. Iranian people don't want war. He does. But he's imagine a tent and he is the pylon or the, you know, whatever you call it that keeps the tent up. The minute is gone or is weakened, it will collapse. There are too many fractions within the regime fighting over power and inheritance. This is going to become even more relevant. You cannot depend. Until now, it's been Ali Khamenei having the final word and controlling every aspect of Iran's structure, whether it's the intelligence, whether it's the military, whether it's the sepah, whether it is all the instruments under his watch. I don't think that his successors, including his son will be able to be able to maintain that apparatus of state any longer. Which goes back to your question. How did they survive for 45 years? Because this has been. And unlike the Soviet Union, who, by the way, had several different leaders, from Leonid Brezhnev all the way to the last one being, of course, Mikhail Gorbachev before Yeltsin finally came in, Iran has had only one leader since Khomeini, and that was Ali Khomeini. So you're talking about an absolute religious dictatorship under the control of one ultimate man at the top of the pyramid that will collapse eventually. So these are opportunities that will present itself to the Iranian people. They also understand what I was arguing earlier, that this regime will continue now, regardless of what kind of a nuclear deal you may have with them. It will continue fomenting regional conflict. It will continue taking hostages. It will continue supporting, you know, all sorts of other methods. That's not going to.
- [103:40]
Patrick Bet-David
The hate towards us is not good. The hate towards the US And Israel is not going away.
- [103:44]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
And that's the part that I think you need to understand that even if you say, you know what, we don't need to get involved in the Middle east anymore, well, they won't leave you alone. They will, in fact, force you. And the chances that you'll be forced back into the equation this time, dealing with a much higher state of conflict will come down in the long term. So I am with you on this, Patrick, that this is now a moment that we need to be able to utilize. I think the Iranian people are ready more than ever. I hope that our counterpart, as far as one foreign key government is concerned, America is also ready only in the sense that that paradigm that has shifted in Iran proper needs to also shift in Washington in terms of foreign policy. Are we still talking about appeasement or dealing with the regime or trying to ask for a behavior change, or are we this time saying we have their backs to the wall? Let's throw the knockout punch, not by America doing it for us, but by helping the Iranians have the best chance to succeed. And that's all we're asking for at the end of the day.
- [104:54]
Patrick Bet-David
Yeah. I don't know if you saw or not Khamenei's ex account was suspended. I think Facebook, Instagram, everybody, if you go.
- [105:01]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
He tweeted something in Hebrew and they instantaneously.
- [105:04]
Patrick Bet-David
Right. What did he say?
- [105:06]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I'm not sure what he said a little bit. I hadn't seen the translation, but that was about a couple of days ago.
- [105:11]
Patrick Bet-David
Earlier Monday, brief Note suspended accounts ex suspends account violate the X rules the suspension occurred following Israel's first open strike against Iran response to ballistic missile. It wasn't immediately clear what the excess violation was called. The lore Elon Musk speech on Sunday Israel strikes in response ballistic missiles which saw 200 missiles should not be exaggerated nor downplay Will stop in a column of retaliation. The newly suspended existence account which was created on Sunday began with a message in Hebrew that read in the name of God the most Merciful, a standard Islamic greeting. The second post referred to Khamenei's speech and was sent to English account of Zionists are making a miscalculation with respect to Iran. They don't know Iran. They still haven't been able to correctly understand the power, initiative and determination of the Iranian people. Go a little lower Rob, if you could. And then here it says Khamenei has maintained Multiple accounts for 85 year old x for years, has sent messages in variety language in the past. This is not the first time he's used social media. Social media has been suspended in February. Meta Facebook Instagram removed accounts associated with Iranian leader due to express support for Hamas following the group support attacks on Israel on October 7th when Iranian backed militant group Hamas the operation okay, yeah.
- [106:21]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
So you know it's really laughable when Khamenei says that they don't understand the Iranian people. In fact he doesn't understand the Iranian people and even worse than that he doesn't care about the Iranian people. At the end of the day do.
- [106:33]
Patrick Bet-David
You think Iranian people know that?
- [106:36]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
As I told you, they are on the streets proving that they say death to the dictator. They are willing to risk life and limb just to make the point that we are tired and fed up of this regime. How long will the world continue letting these animals continue to threaten not just Iranians but everybody in the region and beyond?
- [106:53]
Patrick Bet-David
There was two clips of females. Rob, if you can bring one, just bring up both of them. If you don't mind I will show the first one and if he can moderate this one of them was a young girl who a soldier, a private. Go to the other one first. Rob.
- [107:05]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I started these two things to the right.
- [107:07]
Patrick Bet-David
That's exactly you shared with me earlier. This is shown by Manito official. If he can play this clip and if he can moderate what's going on here. Go ahead.
- [107:15]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, this was a muted clip so we only have the. This is city cameras in Tehran. So this guy's trying to come and intimidate and at the same time Said something to her and now she's responding in plain view. I mean, this is a woman unveiled in Iran. In Iran. What city was reacting to the. I think it was Tehran. I'm not 100% sure.
- [107:38]
Patrick Bet-David
Wow, that was pretty.
- [107:42]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I mean, that shows that, you know, in plain view. They wouldn't have done that five years ago.
- [107:47]
Patrick Bet-David
Well, listen, I mean, Dana White may reach out to her, but what's even.
- [107:50]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
More shocking is the next one, which is very.
- [107:52]
Patrick Bet-David
What's the next one, Rob?
- [107:55]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
So this is in a university in Iran, and these are girls filming it from the window. The campus security. She probably was not wearing a hijab. Not only did she not put back her hijab, she took her clothes off in plain view. Look at her.
- [108:16]
Patrick Bet-David
What's her attack by mobilized forces.
- [108:20]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
They keep harassing people into. I mean, these two women.
- [108:24]
Patrick Bet-David
This is pure example of defiance is what you're talking about.
- [108:26]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I mean, to the point she knew she was going to get arrested. She did get arrested. On my way here. I was watching the Nassauing this, Patrick, but look at that. Who would have thought that in Iran you will see something.
- [108:39]
Patrick Bet-David
What happened to her?
- [108:41]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
She got arrested. Last thing I know about. A couple hours ago on my way here.
- [108:45]
Patrick Bet-David
What they would do to her if they. Do you know what they're going to do to her if she got arrested? And she's attractive. I mean, for her to have the audacity to do this.
- [108:55]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
But what I'm trying to tell you is she's doing this hoping that not only Iranians see that, but people here in the west see that.
- [109:03]
Patrick Bet-David
How old is she?
- [109:03]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I wonder how many outlets here in this country the media will ever show this as opposed to showing pro Hamas demonstrations in terror.
- [109:11]
Patrick Bet-David
There's a lot of courage to do that, I'm telling you. That's a lot of courage.
- [109:15]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
You know, and what keeps me going at the end of the day, Pat, what makes me be sitting here talking to you that I'm willing to give my life up to free my country? It's only because of them. It's because we cannot be indifferent to that, because we cannot sit back and say, you know what? How could we let this happen? That's what I'm in this for. Not for me, for them.
- [109:42]
Patrick Bet-David
I think that's the place we can finish this interview with. As usual, another fantastic conversation with you. And I enjoyed every single time we do this. And I appreciate your sincerity and I appreciate you being a sport to take me challenging you and pushing you back. And you're so respectful about it. That's very admirable. And I think in moments of tension, that shows the examples of if you ever were ever put in a position like that, you're going to be able to handle the criticism and all the challenges that comes with it. And I applaud you.
- [110:14]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, you know what, Patrick? I always encourage criticism because I think if everybody had had the same mind, it would be so stale. At the end of the day, even water, if it remains stale, it will ultimately become.
- [110:26]
Patrick Bet-David
But it's not. We need. It's not something people that like and. And you're. You're a gamer.
- [110:32]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Well, you won't have a problem that problem with me.
- [110:34]
Patrick Bet-David
No, I respect it.
- [110:35]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
I enjoyed that.
- [110:36]
Patrick Bet-David
Tremendous respect for you. Thanks again.
- [110:37]
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Thank you, Patrick.
- [110:38]
Patrick Bet-David
Take care, everybody. Bye bye. Bye bye. If you were interested in this topic with Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, odds are your Middle Eastern. Maybe you're Iranian. Armenian, Persian. Maybe you're living in the Middle east or maybe you're an American that wants peace in the Middle east. The last 13 years I wrote this book called the Academy. It's a very interesting thing. I talk about his father, I talk about moments, why the revolution took place with this character named Asher who is half Assyrian, half Armenian and he gets recruited to the secret society. And the villain in the book is the former deputy director of SAVAK who is in the book breaking down why the fall of Iran took place, what mistakes that were made. And very interesting what happened. When I wrote this book, I never wanted to publish this book until I finished building my insurance company. I published a couple months ago, something very strange happened when I was at the tail and the finish in this book, I get a call from somebody saying the former deputy director of SAVAK wants to have a call with you. I said, the former who? Deputy director of savak. They don't know the villain is in this book. That person had read the book. I have a zoom with the deputy director of savak. He reads the book, calls me back immediately, I need to have another part two with you. Did you write this book about me? Am I the villain in the book? I need to come and meet with you face to face. He comes to my house. My dad meets him, my wife meets him. We have an eight, nine hour meeting together at the house because of what perspective he had that caused Iran to fall. Some of that is documented in this book. Again, this is a fiction book based on true stories. If the topic of Iran, the revolution, leadership interests you, I think you would really enjoy reading this book. The Academy. You can go to Amazon or QR Code here to order the book. I look forward to having you read it and posting a review on Amazon because I read every single one of them. Enjoy the read.