Quillette Podcast Will Post-Islamist Iran Get a Royal Restoration?
Mar 6, 2026
Kaveh Shahrooz, an Iranian-Canadian lawyer and human rights activist, offers expert analysis on Iran's politics and the monarchy. He explores generational divides, nostalgia for the Pahlavi era, and Reza Pahlavi's rising profile. Discussion also covers IRGC economic power, ethnic minority grievances, and risks around succession and restoration.
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Generational Divide Drives Opposition
- Iran's regime support skews older while youth overwhelmingly oppose it due to demographic shifts and a post-revolution baby boom.
- Kaveh Shahrooz explains young Iranians grew up seeing revolution's failures and now reject the regime's outcomes rather than its founding myth.
IRGC Became Economic Cartel
- The IRGC entrenched itself by entering the economy as a protection racket, seizing shares and forcing control over successful businesses.
- Shahrooz cites business owners forced to cede ownership and princelings flaunting wealth abroad as fueling public anger.
Reza Pahlavi Emerged As Protest Symbol
- Reza Pahlavi has risen as a focal point for protesters chanting his name despite living decades abroad and a wealthy lifestyle.
- Shahrooz recounts meeting Pahlavi at conferences and describes him as approachable, Western-educated, and liberal.