US Envoy Meets Shah's Son, Calls it 'Democracy Promotion'
Al-Monitor reports that US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed Shah of Iran, to discuss ongoing protests. This, of course, is framed as engaging with the 'fragmented opposition.' What they won't tell you is that Pahlavi represents a return to a monarchical dictatorship, a regime the US propped up for decades until the 1979 revolution – a historical context conveniently
erased by mainstream media. The US has a long, documented history of installing and supporting regimes that serve its interests, often undermining genuine democratic movements in the process. (Remember the 1953 coup?) One might wonder if 'democracy promotion' now exclusively means 'restoring our preferred autocrat.' It appears the US playbook for 'supporting' foreign populations in distress
involves sidestepping actual grassroots movements to instead empower figures whose primary credential is their dynastic lineage and willingness to align with US foreign policy objectives. How many times must this particular historical pattern repeat before we recognize the act?