GRAPEVINE, TEXAS — In his most provocative address since the war began, the exiled Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, has explicitly called on President Donald Trump and the U.S. military to “finish the job” against the clerical leadership in Tehran. Speaking to a packed audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Sunday, March 29, 2026, Pahlavi argued that anything short of the regime’s total removal would be a betrayal of both the Iranian people and American national security.
The “finish the job” rhetoric marks a significant departure from Pahlavi’s previous calls for “maximum pressure” and “civilian transition,” signaling a shift toward supporting direct, regime-ending military action.
The “MIGA” Doctrine: Make Iran Great Again
Pahlavi’s speech was designed to align perfectly with the “America First” movement, framing the fall of the Islamic Republic as a win for the U.S. taxpayer and global stability.
- No Half-Measures: “You cannot negotiate with a cancer; you must remove it,” Pahlavi told the crowd. “I am here to tell President Trump: Don’t stop now. Don’t take a deal that lets them survive. Finish the job so that we can finally make Iran great again.”
- The “Jihadist” Warning: Pahlavi warned that if the U.S. accepts the current 15-point peace proposal being discussed in Islamabad, the regime will simply “hide, rebuild, and return to its jihadist ways” within a few years.
- The Moral Case: He highlighted the Minab school strike and other tragedies as the “dying gasps of a terrorist state” that uses its own children as shields, arguing that the only way to save Iranian lives is to end the regime that puts them in harm’s way.
A Rivalry for the “New Iran”
Pahlavi’s “finish the job” plea comes as the Trump administration remains divided on who should lead a post-war Iran.
- The “Exile” vs. “Internal” Debate: President Trump has expressed skepticism about Pahlavi in recent weeks, noting he has been out of the country for 47 years. The White House is reportedly vetting “internal” pragmatic figures like Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as potential successors.
- The “Islamabad Channel” Friction: Pahlavi is currently the most vocal opponent of the quadrilateral talks in Pakistan involving Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Türkiye. He views these talks as a “lifeline” for the regime that he wants to see cut off entirely.
- The “Crown” Factor: While Pahlavi insists he does not seek the throne, his supporters at CPAC were seen waving “Lion and Sun” flags and chanting “Javid Shah” (Long Live the King), creating a complex image of a restored monarchy.
Strategic Context: Day 30 of Operation Epic Fury
As Pahlavi spoke, the operational reality on the ground in Iran moved closer to the “total dismantling” he advocates:
| Category | Milestone (March 28-29, 2026) |
| Energy | Haftkel Water Reservoir and Khuzestan Steel hit; infrastructure failing. |
| Military | Prince Sultan Air Base strike kills 13 U.S. personnel; U.S. considers ground raids. |
| Economic | Bab el-Mandeb under Houthi threat; global trade facing 12% disruption. |
| Diplomatic | Islamabad Summit begins; Pahlavi urges Trump to ignore it. |
What’s Next?
Pahlavi’s intervention puts additional pressure on the April 6 deadline. If President Trump decides to “finish the job,” the U.S. may transition from the current “Infrastructure Blitz” to the two-month ground operation recently reported by the Washington Post. This would likely involve seizing critical coastal assets like Kharg Island to ensure the regime can never again fund its regional proxies.
