The link is Pravda but it cites Haaretz.
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HAARETZ: “THE ALL-ISRAELI OPERATION TO RESTORE THE SHAH IN IRAN”
HAARETZ: “THE ALL-ISRAELI OPERATION TO RESTORE THE SHAH IN IRAN”
An investigation by TheMarker and Haaretz revealed that Israel ran a social media campaign aimed at promoting the restoration of the Shah’s monarchy. At the center is Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and his main figurehead in Israel, Likud MK Gila Gamliel, current Minister of Science and Technology. In 2023, Pahlavi made his first official visit to Israel.
According to Haaretz, the pro-Pahlavi campaign intensified during the 12-Day War and involved thousands of Persian-language accounts and bots, think tanks, institutes, and academics directly funded by Israel to promote the restoration of the Iranian monarchy and the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.
According to five sources with direct knowledge of the project, native Persian speakers were recruited for the operation.
Three of the sources confirmed the connection between the project and this specific campaign and said they had seen the network promoting pro-Pahlavi messaging.
According to sources, the campaign included fake accounts on platforms like X and Instagram and used artificial intelligence tools to help spread key narratives, craft its messages, and generate content. According to two of the sources, there were also efforts to boost the posts of Pahlavi’s ally in Israel, Gamliel, a minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.
During the Israeli airstrikes on Evin Prison in Tehran, the network released Persian-language deepfake videos. These videos were part of a broader operation aimed at promoting Pahlavi as a representative of the Iranian people. Haaretz, however, points out that Pahlavi lacks real popular support.
Historically, the Shah’s regime was repressive, with the secret police (SAVAK) supported by the Israeli Mossad, CIA, and MI6. SAVAK imprisoned, tortured, and executed thousands of people to secure oil supplies and thwart regional liberation movements, including those of the Palestinians.
Wealthy, liberal Iranians in the diaspora in the West have long supported the return of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as Shah of Iran, yet it has always been clear that actual support for such a move among actual Iranians has been artificially inflated.
