1201 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C., District of Columbia 20004
The demise of Qassem Soleimani is the latest and worst in a series of blows to the Islamic Republic in recent months. In October, anti-corruption protest movements erupted in Iraq and Lebanon, where demonstrators called for an end to the privileged status that the regime’s proxies have come to enjoy. The anti-Islamic Republic demands are most explicit in Iraq, where militias loyal to Khamenei and built by Qassem Soleimani have attempted, unsuccessfully, to suppress the demonstrations with extreme violence.
Damage to the political legitimacy of the Islamic Republic has also come from inside Iran itself. In November 2019, another wave of protests against the regime swept the country, engulfing every major town and city. All ethnic groups and social classes were represented in demonstrations that were quelled ultimately through the killing of 1,500 peaceful protesters and the detention of thousands more. Throughout the country, protestors chanted slogans in favor of the former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, the son of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
Mr. Pahlavi is the most prominent Iranian opposition figure and, increasingly, a unifying symbol among Iranians who seek to replace the current regime with a secular liberal democracy. He is uniquely positioned, therefore, to shed light on Iran at the crossroads. Can it manage the unprecedented series of historic challenges that it faces? How will it seek to break out of the corner into which President Trump has maneuvered it? And what strategy should the United States adopt to achieve the best results for itself and the Iranian people?
Join Hudson Institute for a conference with leaders from industry, government, academia, and defense to discuss the latest developments in the US-China AI competition.
Join House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (AL-03) for a fireside discussion with Senior Fellow Nadia Schadlow on Congress’s role in revitalizing America’s defense industrial base.
Please join Hudson Institute for a special address on the current state-of-play by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will join remotely, followed by a question-and-answer session on the war with Hudson Institute President and CEO John Walters.
Bill Frauenhofer, executive director for semiconductor investment and innovation at the US Department of Commerce, will join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow David Feith for an invitation-only fireside chat on semiconductor onshoring and the role of government capital in strengthening America’s technological and industrial leadership.
