I was in my mother’s womb when the 1979 Islamic Revolution destroyed my family’s homeland and forced us into exile. Like so many Iranians, my country was stolen from me before I could even draw my first breath. But my connection to Iran is not just a matter of heritage; it is written in blood. My father, General Gholam Ali Oveissi, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, was a patriot who loved his people and died defending them from the tyranny of Ayatollah Khomeini. In 1984 he was assassinated in Paris because of his loyalty to the Shah and his refusal to bow to the new regime.
For decades, families like mine have borne the weight of displacement and loss, watching from a distance as a nation once on track to become a global superpower was hijacked by mismanagement and ideological rule. But today the tide is turning. After 47 years of oppression, corruption and budgetary incompetence, the Iranian people – driven by a courageous younger generation – have had enough.
This uprising is about more than just the collapse of an economy, even if the financial devastation is undeniable. The Iranian rial has plummeted to an all-time low and inflation is now over 40%. Food prices have skyrocketed by more than 70% in one year, leaving more than a third of the population below the poverty line. While the regime spends billions of dollars to finance terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, the Iranian people suffer from negative GDP growth and crumbling infrastructure.
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Unemployment has destroyed the hopes of an entire generation, and the regime’s response has been to plunder natural resources, selling them at a discount to China and Russia, while people face water shortages and total systemic neglect.
However, the protests rocking Iran are not just cries for hunger; they are cries for identity. Iran’s youth have reached a turning point and realized what the Pahlavi era really represented: a time when Iran was a center of stability and prosperity in the region.
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They do not chant religious slogans. Instead, they sing for Western values – freedom, prosperity and an end to oppression. They rediscover a pride in their Persian heritage, which dates back to 550 BC. When asked where they come from, they proudly answer, “I am Persian,” rejecting the identity imposed on them by the Islamic Republic.
At the heart of this movement is the desire for the return of the Pahlavi vision. Reza Pahlavi has organically emerged as the voice of these disenfranchised people. He is not a leader positioned by foreign actors; he is the name that people sing about on the streets. They remember – or have heard of – an era when women were treated with respect and reciprocity, when Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in peace, and when leadership invested in the future of its students.
Reza Pahlavi supports a nationally elected referendum for a constitutional monarchy, modeled on the United Kingdom, that would preserve our national identity while guaranteeing democratic governance.
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Crucially, the Iranian people see the United States as a beacon of hope. Contrary to the regime’s propaganda, the majority of Iranians love, admire and support America. They are especially grateful to President Donald Trump, whose bold leadership has provided a road map for combating tyranny.
His actions in Venezuela – particularly the pressure placed on the illegitimate Maduro regime – have fueled protesters in Iran. President Trump’s willingness to hold rogue leaders accountable offers hope that the United States will not stand idly by as the Iranian regime slaughters its own citizens.
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I am eternally grateful to the United States for granting my family political asylum and allowing me to become a citizen of the greatest country in the world. But as an Iranian-American, I know that a free Iran could be one of America’s most important allies and a stabilizing force in the Middle East. Iran was once a close partner of Israel – and could be again.
The next few days are crucial. The regime will likely respond with the same violence that killed my father and hundreds of thousands of others. The United States must make it clear that mass killings will not be tolerated and must hold this administration accountable for its human rights abuses. The people of Iran are ready to reclaim their future. The question is whether the free world will support them.
