Trump Envoy Meets Exiled Pahlavi: Regime Change, Brought to You By...
The story positions Pahlavi as a potential 'transitional leader,' a familiar tune for anyone old enough to remember Libya's 'liberation' or Iraq's 'democracy project.' Axios cites a 'senior U.S. official' and an Israeli assessment of 5,000 protest deaths (unverified, naturally), echoing the intelligence drumbeats that often precede 'humanitarian interventions.' This isn't just about protests; it's
the 2003 playbook, updated for social media, with the same 'exiled leader returns' fantasy. One might wonder if the 'organic' chants for Pahlavi mentioned by the 'U.S. official' are as spontaneous as they appear, given the history of external actors attempting to shape internal dissent in target nations. It's almost as if the U.S. government views any popular uprising not aligned with its
interests as a problem, and any aligned one as a golden opportunity for regime change, especially when oil contracts or geopolitical leverage are on the table. The only surprise is how little the narrative changes over the decades.