Saving Iran
by Reza Pahlavi

In the Oval Office, after greeting each other cordially, President Trump and I sat down and he pointed at a stack of papers on his desk and said, “Look at all those articles and intelligence reports about you.”

“I hope you enjoyed reading them, Mr. President.”

He smiled. “I’ve talked to a lot of people who tell me you believe in democracy.”

“Absolutely. Look at the disasters the Islamic Regime has inflicted on the Iranian people.”

“But your father was a monarch. He didn’t believe in democracy.”

Looking earnestly at Trump, I said, “He lived in a difficult time and had to build a modern state while surrounded by medieval nations that didn’t permit any kind of freedom. Under my leadership, I know Iran could become the first democracy in the region.”

“There’s already a democracy – Israel.”

I nodded and said, “Of course, Mr. President. I imagine your aides told you that when my father ruled, we had a hundred fifty thousand Jews in Iran, and they flourished. Only after he was overthrown in 1979 were most Jews evicted from our country. Less than ten thousand live there now.”

“My son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is Jewish, you know. And my daughter, Ivanka, and their children.”

“Indeed. Mr. Kushner has adroitly negotiated in Israel and understands that the Palestinians and Hamas must learn to live according to the norms of international law. The best way to teach them, as well as Hezbollah, is to cut off the head of their supplier, the Islamic Republic of Iran. I should emphasize that freedom of religion is a key part of democracy. So are a free press and internet, which the regime has cut off. They’re terrified of the truth, and they’re afraid of liberated women.”

Trump studied me a moment. “Reza, I’m impressed with Iran’s improvements in literacy and economic developments during the days of your father. Even the current regime is pretty good with science, but that means we’ve got to worry about Iran developing and using a nuclear weapon.”

I felt my face flush. “That’s an existential horror that neither you nor the Israelis should ever have to worry about. And you certainly wouldn’t if I were the leader of Iran. I believe our nation should invest in better health care and housing and other peaceful pursuits. We want to be part of the West and the greatest era in history.”

“I think you’re a very nice guy, Reza, and you understand what’s best for the world. I’d be comfortable with you in charge of Iran, but I worry about what the Iranian people want. I wonder if they’d accept you. You don’t seem to have very much support. And your name reminds a lot of protestors of your father.”

“Hold it, please, Mr. President. I’m a much different and more modern man than my father. He never had the democratic ideals that I’ve shared with you today. I know the people of Iran want me.”

Trump asked, “How do you know?”

“They’ve been shouting my name in the streets after I urged them to ‘seize city centers of hold them.’”

“But maybe twenty thousand of them have been killed by the government.”

“They sacrificed their lives to end a wicked regime,” I said.

“We’ll stay in touch, Reza, and see how this works out.”

George Thomas Clark on Amazon