For 12 days now, protests fueled by a deepening economic crises have convulsed Iran. Demonstrators have filled the streets in Tehran, the capital, but also in smaller cities and towns far from the political and economic centers. The sites of protest include small cities such as Abadan and the Kurdish-majority Malekshahi in the southwestern Ilam province, where economic grievances, unemployment, and state neglect are stark.

In eight provinces, at least 28 protesters have been killed by Iranian forces, according to estimates by Amnesty International. Iranian government has blocked access to internet and doubled down on repressive measures against protesters.

Far from the desperate, ignored towns and cities of Iran, a familiar delusion has gripped Western observers: Perhaps Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed shah of Iran, who presents himself as the crown prince in exile, can lead Iran’s democratic transition if the Islamic Republic falls.

The Pahlavi pretender himself certainly thinks so. After waiting for the protests to achieve international headlines, he has begun issuing statements and giving interviews. He has called for coordinated demonstrations, promised a smooth transition, and assured Iranians that he is ready to lead. His message is clear: I am your man.

We have been here before. And it didn’t end well.

Twenty-three years ago, another exiled pretender was being groomed by Western powers to lead a Middle Eastern nation into democracy: Ahmed Chalabi, the Iraqi banker-turned-opposition-leader, had everything the Pahlavi pretender lacks—and still failed spectacularly. The comparison isn’t just instructive; it’s essential for anyone tempted to pin their hopes on the shah’s son.

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Chalabi arrived at regime change with sterling credentials—at least on paper. The Iraqi National Congress (INC) he led united Kurds, Sunnis, and Shias under one umbrella. He commanded serious financial resources, receiving over $100 million from the Central Intelligence Agency in the 1990s alone and another $97 million after Congress passed the Iraq Liberation Act in 1998. His Rolodex was the envy of any exile politician: Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Dick Cheney. He had the ear of The........

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