The Chalabi Syndrome
Why Washington Must Reject Reza Pahlavi’s Call for War
RealClear Defense, February 19, 2026 By Gen. Charles F. Wald (Ret.)
For most Americans, particularly those exhausted by two decades of war in the Middle East, Iran represents a persistent and complex geopolitical challenge. The Iranian regime has American blood on his hands, which could justify ending many years of restraint and launching a devastating strike against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The bloody crackdown on the wave of protests in Iran and the ensuing carnage with thousands being killed, many more injured and tens of thousands being arrested, further call for action from a moral perspective notwithstanding the possible political outcome of helping the Iranian people and triggering another wave of protests to overthrow the regime.
However, any military intervention will also have its downside, for which it seems that president trump is acting prudently. Thus, a well-defined objective is a must, and a possible scenario must be fully considered.
For all these reasons, this is an American issue that ultimately the president should decide. What is seriously troubling is strong lobbying by Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s deposed shah for US military intervention in Iran. In recent months, however, and with growing intensity in just the past few weeks, he has abandoned the language of nonviolent civil resistance in favor of openly advocating American and Israeli military action. He is no longer merely positioning himself as an opposition figure; he is actively lobbying to become the beneficiary of a foreign military intervention, at the expense of the American taxpayer.
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