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On Friday’s episode of The Ezra Levant Show, Ezra was joined by Middle East expert Dr. Daniel Pipes to discuss Iran and the global implications of the regime’s ambitions.

Ezra and Dr. Daniel Pipes agreed that the aftermath of U.S.–Israel operations in Iran will likely prove far more complex than the regime change in Venezuela, largely due to the Iranian regime’s deeper ideological motivations.

“In Iran, you can’t find some mullah to take over, because they’re a part of the ideological, Islamic theocracy. You need something to emerge from the rubble to take over,” said Ezra. 

Dr. Pipes added that the future of Iran will depend heavily on the ultimate aim of the U.S.–Israel intervention, an objective that some observers note remains unclear.

“The Americans and Israelis have done brilliantly on the battlefield, but nobody quite knows what the goal is,” he said. “Is it a Venezuela-type situation? Is it a change of regime? Is it to knock out the nuclear and ballistic capabilities for years to come? What is the goal? What are these two governments looking forward to accomplishing?” 

The conversation then turned to the Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, who is favoured by many members of the Iranian diaspora, particularly in Canada, as a potential successor to the current regime.

“I think he’s competent, I think he’s got good politics. I don’t think he’s trying to resurrect the Shah ‘king of kings’ position, but he sees himself as a transitory leader,” said Dr. Pipes. “I trust him. I think he’s the best option there is.” 

However, Dr. Pipes pointed out that President Donald Trump has previously dismissed Reza Pahlavi, in language similar to comments he made about Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, a figure many had expected to succeed Nicolás Maduro.