Make no mistake: the first day of the last days of the Iranian ayatollah’s barbaric regime begins when the diverse tapestry that is the Iranian diaspora comes together under one roof – and collectively interacts with US administration officials.
This genuine consolidation is precisely what the anti-American, Islamist tyrant Ali Khamenei and his band of terrorist thugs in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fear the most.
How do we know this? When the diaspora joined forces during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in Iran, the IRGC’s operatives declared that the regime “should not allow the Iranians abroad to constantly demonstrate and issue messages against us.”
Thereafter, the regime’s cyber army and its online pawns went into overdrive to foment visceral division and toxicity – efforts that ultimately succeeded in preventing Iranians from mobilizing together and communicating coherently with policymakers abroad.
Launching CPAC
In a piece published on March 26 in The Jerusalem Post, a member of the Iranian diaspora observed that “for decades, Western policymakers have struggled to engage effectively with Iran’s opposition.” We could not agree more. And this is exactly why “CPAC for Iranians in Exile” was launched.
This initiative of the Conservative Political Action Coalition will provide an inclusive platform for all Iranians to engage with one another, determine their own future, and interact with key policymakers on their own terms and with their own voice – for the very first time. It will be like no other in the West: established on the principle of absolute respect for the civilizational history of Iran, its borders, and its strict territorial integrity.
The emphasis of CPAC for Iranians in Exile’s on collective action is encapsulated in its founding principle of “absolute respect for all those diverse groups within the Iranian diaspora, ensuring their treatment with dignity and civility.”
As such, those promoting separatism, Islamist ideology, and terrorism will not be welcome. For it is indeed the concurrence and harmony of the Iranian diaspora, which is composed of diverse opinions, backgrounds and heritage, that the tyrannical ayatollah and his regime fear the most.
Crown prince Reza Pahlavi – the son of the late Shah of Iran – declared in his recent Norooz address to the Iranian people: “let us stand together decisively… to achieve this bold vision” of a world without the Islamic Republic.
We believe that CPAC for Iranians in Exile marks the beginning of a new era; one in which the diaspora can lay down their regime-driven hostility towards each other, and gather, meet, and talk – under the single guiding principle that we all share: namely, to do everything in our respective power to end the ayatollah’s despotic rule.
Building Bridges for a Free Iran
Our hope is to facilitate a platform that brings together opposition to the tyrannical regime and provides Iranians with a space to discuss and collaborate – both among themselves and with US administration officials – on plans for a post-Islamic Republic of Iran. And we believe leaders, prominent figures and influentials like the crown prince can – and should – play a strong and productive role in this regard.
Those individuals in the diaspora who spend their time and energy attacking fellow compatriots – including the brave women and men in Iran – should realize that they are only doing the ayatollah’s work. They should also appreciate that they are few in number.
Conversely, CPAC for Iranians in Exile has already received overwhelming support from Iranians of all different backgrounds and beliefs, who recognize that now is the time to come together and mobilize collectively against the ayatollah – and to do so in conjunction with President Donald Trump’s administration.
The CPAC initiative’s announcement has already caused significant angst across the Islamic Republic, which stands objectively at its weakest and most vulnerable position since 1979. A unique window of opportunity is presenting itself for us all to seize.
As the truly great Shahbanu, Empress Farah Pahlavi, has so eloquently articulated: in the end, light shall always prevail over darkness. For the past 46 years, the formidable Iranian nation has been driven by oppression into obscurity by occupying Islamist forces that sought to impede the illumination of Iran’s extraordinary history, culture, and identity.
We are confident that, in these somber times, the abiding resilience of the Iranian people – both at home and abroad – augurs the downfall of this cynical enterprise. The faster the Iranian diaspora comes together, the sooner such a bright future will materialize.
Matt Schlapp is the chairman of the Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC). Ambassador Mark D. Wallace is the CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran and a former US ambassador to the United Nations. Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan is the chairman and CEO of The Electrum Group LLC and an American entrepreneur and environmentalist.