A striking moment linked to the Munich Security Conference has put the “Shah’s son” narrative under an unflattering spotlight, turning what was meant to boost Reza Pahlavi’s profile into a public setback — while, in parallel, Iranian rallies and international political moves have increasingly highlighted support for Iran’s organized resistance, including the NCRI and the MEK.
At the center of the scene was a direct question from CNN’s Christiane Amanpour to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. With Reza Pahlavi reportedly present in the audience, Amanpour asked whether Graham would declare his support for Pahlavi and whether he was ready to say Pahlavi is the person the United States — or Graham personally as a senior Republican senator — would back. Graham’s answer was immediate: "No!"
For many observers, that one-word reply amounted to a practical rejection of the “Shah’s son,” and it underscored a growing reality: even where Pahlavi is invited or mentioned, he struggles to gain real political endorsement — a damaging contrast to the image his backers try to project.
This scene did not occur in a vacuum. Last Saturday, Reuters covered a demonstration in Berlin attended by thousands of Iranians. The rally’s message was blunt and consistent: "No Shah, No Mullah." Protesters argued that attempts to revive monarchy through “digital armies” and engineered propaganda are an insult to the blood of young people who have fallen in Iran’s streets. Their demands, they said, are freedom and democracy — a republic based on the people’s vote, separation of religion and state, gender equality, and full rights for Iran’s ethnic and religious communities.
Personal testimonies carried the weight of decades of repression. One demonstrator, Zari Shayesteh, was quoted as saying: "Eight members of my family, including my two brothers, my mother, and my sister, were executed by the mullahs’ regime."
Another participant, Shekoofeh Majdeh, stressed open support for the organized opposition: "We are here to support the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance, the NCRI, and the MEK. The Iranian people reject every dictatorship — no Shah, no monarchy, no religious dictatorship.
We demand a democratic republic that separates religion from the state." Mirza Hosseini added: "We are here because we are against the mullahs and the Shah. In 1979 we rose up and removed the dictator… and we don’t want to replace him with another dictator."
European Parliament: “Systematic Repression” and a Push for International Prosecution
Beyond the streets, international pressure has been tightening. The European Parliament adopted a resolution by an overwhelming majority — 524 votes in favor, 3 against, and 41 abstentions — condemning what it described as the Iranian regime’s “systematic repression” of protesters.
The text denounced arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial killings, executions, and inhuman prison conditions.
The resolution cited UN reporting and Amnesty International documentation of what it described as organized violence, including sniper attacks on protesters and the abduction of wounded individuals.
It called for independent documentation through UN mechanisms and urged that Iran’s case be referred to the International Criminal Court via the UN Security Council. It also demanded expanded targeted sanctions — asset freezes and travel bans — against members of the IRGC, political leaders, prosecutors, prison officials, and security commanders, as a step toward accountability.
U.S. Senate: Bipartisan Step Against Live Fire, Internet Cuts, Mass Arrests
In Washington, more than 20 U.S. senators from both parties introduced a Senate measure condemning the crackdown on Iran’s protests, especially the use of live ammunition, internet shutdowns, and mass arrests.
The initiative was led by Senators James Lankford and Jeanne Shaheen, who emphasized Tehran’s long record of threatening Americans and allies while denying Iranians basic freedoms. Observers say the move adds momentum to wider efforts aimed at isolating Tehran’s security apparatus and increasing international accountability.
A Clear Contrast: “Manufactured Alternatives” vs. the Organized Democratic Option
Taken together, the developments deliver a clear contrast: while the “Shah’s son” project seeks traction through media placement and online amplification, the streets and the political landscape are highlighting something else — the rejection of dictatorship in all forms, and the insistence on a democratic republic.
Between Graham’s public "No!" in the Munich setting and the Berlin message "No Shah, No Mullah," a consistent conclusion is taking shape: Iranians are not looking to swap one autocracy for another.
They are pushing for a democratic alternative — and the organized resistance, repeatedly referenced by demonstrators through the NCRI and the MEK, is increasingly difficult to sideline in international discussions.
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