S8 Ep311: PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY: This transcript features a discussion between John Batchelor and Gregory Copley regarding the potential political return of Reza Pahlavi to Iran. The speakers suggest that the Crown Prince is currently the only figure with suffici
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 13 January 2026
⏱️ 3 minutes
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Summary
PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY: This transcript features a discussion between John Batchelor and Gregory Copley regarding the potential political return of Reza Pahlavi to Iran. The speakers suggest that the Crown Prince is currently the only figure with sufficient name recognition and historical legitimacy to lead the nation following a potential collapse of the current regime. While the United States Department of State historically opposes monarchic structures, the experts argue that Pahlavi could serve as a transitional leader or a constitutional monarch similar to the British model. They emphasize that his return is increasingly supported by internal Iranian voices seeking stability through his established plans for economic and agricultural reform. Ultimately, the dialogue positions Pahlavi as a unique bridge between the country's imperial past and a future democratic transformation.
1970 TEHRAN
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is John Batchel, a conversation with my colleague and friend Gregory Copply of Defense and Foreign Affairs about Reza Pilevi, the crown prince of Iran, now 65 years old, living in the United States these last decades, showing interest of returning to Iran as a bridge or transition and toward a constitutional monarchy or otherwise. |
| 0:24.3 | Gregory finds it not only comprehensible, but at the same time we have reason to believe it's being |
| 0:31.8 | encouraged from inside Iran. There are other voices, but right now Gregory explains what it might look like for the |
| 0:40.9 | crown prince to come back following the flight or exit or fall or departure of the Mullahs. |
| 0:50.5 | Here's Gregory to explain. More of this later tonight. |
| 0:56.4 | Oh, it's very credible. |
| 0:58.9 | In fact, it worked very well under the Shah. |
| 1:03.0 | The Majlis had a huge degree of autonomy. |
| 1:06.2 | The Shah was highly conscious of his responsibilities to the public and to, if you like, |
| 1:09.5 | guiding the country rather than dictating anything that would construe an autocratic government. |
| 1:18.6 | Whether Reza Palavi is ready for it is the question. |
| 1:23.6 | The great advantage he has is that there is no viable alternative to him at this stage. |
| 1:31.8 | We know that the US Department of State if it gets involved will oppose anything that has monarchy in the name. |
| 1:38.7 | They've opposed monarchies routinely. They were angry with Richard Nixon for his support of the Shah in the |
| 1:48.6 | 70s and the like. But the reality is that the only name recognition we're getting in the |
| 1:55.0 | Iranian streets today is Reza Pahlavi. He, basically very positive ideas for agriculture, the economy, and so on. |
| 2:06.8 | So when he says constitutional monarchy, I think he means that in the British sense, |
| 2:13.2 | that they would, the crown would have a role to play in the government, as it does in Britain, |
| 2:19.0 | Australia, Canada and New Zealand and so on and so on. But the fact is that pulling it all |
| 2:26.4 | together would be interesting. Razor is the only one who has the legitimacy right now for people |
| 2:32.6 | to say, well, you have a position which you never |
| 2:36.2 | relinquished in 1978, 79 of crown prince. So you can come in now as crown prince or as interim |
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