IRAN AFFAIRS: Conservative Party of Iran founder Rayan Amiri told The Jerusalem Post that the project is intended to provide political structure for a moment that could come sooner than expected.
For nearly half a century, Iran’s opposition has largely existed underground, keeping its hopes alive with slogans, movements, and waves of protests, rather than political parties. This is due to the suffocating nature of domestic Iranian politics, where everything flows through the central office of the supreme leader, and all political participation is according to his discretion.
Some, however, are already looking ahead to the possibilities in post-regime Iran.
This week, an organization calling itself the Conservative Party of Iran (CPI) formally announced its creation in exile, unveiling a detailed founding declaration, a political manifesto, and a draft constitution spanning 83 articles that lay out how the party believes Iran should be governed once the Islamic Republic falls.
The party’s founder, Rayan Amiri, told The Jerusalem Post that the project is intended to provide political structure for a moment many Iranians increasingly believe could come sooner than expected.
“Since Iran is not yet liberated, formal party registration inside the country is currently impossible,” Amiri said. “Registering the party abroad would be largely symbolic and legally complicated. The party will therefore be organized in exile with the clear intention of formally registering it inside Iran once political conditions allow.”
The launch of the CPI brings to the fore something often forgotten when discussing Iran: the Islamic Republic has suppressed political parties so completely that an entire generation of Iranians has never experienced genuine political pluralism.
If the regime collapses, the absence of organized political institutions could leave a vacuum. Groups like CPI are attempting to prepare for that possibility.
Symbols of a lost monarchy return to the streets: Demonstrators wave Iran’s pre-1979 Lion and Sun flag and hold images of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and the late shah during a rally in Munich on February 14 by Iranian opposition supporters. (credit: Michaela Stache/AFP via Getty Images)
Dedication to a constitutional monarchy
At the center of the party’s ideology is a clear commitment to the restoration of a constitutional monarchy under the Pahlavi dynasty, which ruled Iran until the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The founding declaration describes the monarchy as a stabilizing institution deeply embedded in Iran’s historical political identity.
“The Conservative Party of Iran stands firmly upon the enduring pillars of Iran’s historical and political truth,” the declaration states. “Its national identity, its sovereignty, and the continuity of Iran’s native polity – the monarchical institution.”
In the party’s vision, Iran’s future political order would be anchored in the leadership of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince and son of the last shah.
Succession, the documents state, would continue through Crown Princess Noor Pahlavi, reinforcing the hereditary structure of the monarchy.
Amiri argues that the resurgence of monarchist sentiment in recent years has been visible across Iranian society.
“Based on what we assess as the evidence on the ground – protests, uprisings, and chants heard across the country – we believe a majority of Iranians support the restoration of the constitutional monarchy,” he told the Post.
Slogans heard during protests in recent years, he said, reflect that sentiment.
“Chants such as ‘Javid Shah’ – Long live the Shah – and ‘This is the final battle, Pahlavi will return’ have effectively functioned as a kind of street referendum.”
Still, Amiri emphasized that the ultimate decision must come from the Iranian people.
“The legitimate determination of Iran’s political system must come through a free national referendum held under democratic conditions,” he said. “We do not prejudge the sovereign will of the people.”
Even if the outcome were to differ from current expectations, he added, the party would adapt.
“The National Conservative Congress of Iran would convene to reassess and align the party’s platform with the democratic choice of the Iranian people.”
A detailed political structure
Unlike many opposition initiatives that focus primarily on messaging, the CPI has produced a highly structured institutional framework.
Its draft constitution outlines a political organization that resembles parties operating in established democracies.
At the top of the party’s structure is the party leader, who serves as the highest authority and symbol of unity within the movement. Alongside this position is the National Conservative Congress, envisioned as the party’s supreme decision-making and electoral body.
The party’s executive authority would be exercised by a Central Council, responsible for managing the organization’s overall direction and implementing its policies. Administrative and organizational affairs would be overseen by a secretary-general, nominated by the leader and confirmed by the congress.
The constitution also establishes oversight bodies intended to regulate internal party affairs. An independent arbitration committee would handle disputes and disciplinary matters, while an election commission would supervise internal party elections.
The Central Council, envisioned as the party’s main executive organ, would consist of 30 members, with half elected by the National Congress and the other half appointed by the party leader.
The party would also allow internal ideological factions. Among those specifically mentioned are libertarian and national conservative currents, an effort to bring different strands of monarchist and conservative thought under one structured umbrella.
“The Conservative Party of Iran aims to function as an umbrella organization,” Amiri said. “We want to bring together as many Iranian patriots and freedom-loving citizens as possible under a structured platform while preserving internal diversity and democratic competition.”
The party does not intend to eliminate political rivalry, he said.
“A healthy future Iran must be built on pluralism and democratic choice.”
One aspect of the party’s constitutional framework that stands out is the authority granted to the founding leader, including veto power over certain internal decisions.
Amiri argues that these provisions reflect the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the party’s creation.
“As the name of the document makes clear, this is a comprehensive draft constitution – temporary in nature and designed for an exceptional situation,” he said.
“In a revolutionary atmosphere, a degree of hierarchy and structural stability is necessary for the survival and coherence of a newly established political organization.”
He noted that such provisions are common during the early stages of political movements.
“Founding leaders are often granted exceptional roles during the formative phase of political movements, strictly to ensure unity and stability.”
The party’s constitution is intended to evolve once political conditions in Iran change.
“These temporary provisions will remain in place only until a National Conservative Congress of Iran is held inside Iran,” Amiri said. “Delegates will then debate, amend and ratify a finalized constitution.”
A free-market economic model
The CPI’s manifesto outlines an economic vision heavily influenced by free-market principles.
Amiri said the party’s economic framework draws in part from the Chicago school of economics, emphasizing monetary stability, private enterprise, and limited government intervention.
“To restore Iran’s economy we would begin with disciplined monetary policy aimed at stabilizing the rial,” he said.
Iran’s currency has collapsed repeatedly in recent years under the weight of sanctions, corruption, and fiscal mismanagement.
One proposal under consideration involves establishing a currency board linking the rial to a stable international benchmark.
“A currency board could tie the rial to a stable currency, ensuring credibility and reducing hyperinflation risks,” Amiri said.
Interest rates would also be raised in order to absorb excess liquidity and restore investor confidence in the financial system.
On the structural side, the party proposes sweeping reforms aimed at liberalizing Iran’s heavily state-controlled economy.
These would include privatizing state industries, deregulating key sectors, and strengthening property rights.
“By eliminating subsidies, reducing tariffs, and simplifying tax codes, we can foster a competitive environment,” Amiri said.
Such policies, he argued, would encourage both domestic and foreign investment.
“This creates a virtuous cycle where investment revives growth, innovation, and productivity.”
The first 100 days after the regime
The CPI’s planning also addresses the immediate period following the collapse of the Islamic Republic.
Rather than proposing its own separate transitional plan, the party says it would align itself with policy initiatives already developed by monarchist think tanks and political groups.
“Assuming that the head of state of Iran will be Reza Shah Pahlavi II, His Majesty’s program will guide the transitional period,” Amiri said.
The party’s role, he explained, would focus on coordination and political mobilization.
“Our role will not be to introduce competing or parallel plans that risk fragmentation,” he said.
Instead, the party would focus on mobilizing political and grassroots networks to support the transitional government and assist in implementing stabilization and recovery policies.
Foreign policy and relations with Israel
The CPI’s founding documents also signal a dramatic shift from the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy orientation.
Among the party’s priorities is restoring diplomatic relations with Israel, reversing decades of hostility.
In correspondence with the Post, Amiri said rebuilding ties between the two countries would be a strategic priority.
“We will work diligently to strengthen relations between the true Iran – the Iranian people and their exiled shah – and the nation and State of Israel,” he wrote.
“We are committed to ensuring that the natural alliance between Iran and Israel is fully restored and reinforced.”
Before the 1979 revolution, Iran and Israel maintained extensive cooperation across military, intelligence, and economic sectors.
The Islamic Republic replaced that relationship with decades of hostility and support for terrorist groups across the region.
Amiri argues that a future Iranian government would adopt a fundamentally different approach.
“Under a Pahlavi-led national government, Iran will cease to be a source of regional instability,” he said. “Instead, it will become a pillar of stability and responsible partnership.”
A set of portraits of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, is on sale in a Persian household shop in North Finchley, London, March 3, 2026 (credit: REUTERS/Isabel Infantes)
Preparing for the ‘day after’
For decades, discussions about Iran’s future have focused primarily on how the Islamic Republic might fall. Far less attention has been paid to what would come afterward.
Who would govern? What institutions would replace the current regime? What economic policies would guide reconstruction?
Political initiatives like the Conservative Party of Iran represent an attempt to answer those questions in advance.
Whether such efforts gain traction inside Iran remains uncertain. But their emergence suggests a new phase in Iranian opposition politics.
For years, Iranian activists spoke primarily in the language of revolution. Now some are beginning to speak in the language of governance.
As Amiri put it, the objective is straightforward. “To help the Iranian people reclaim their homeland, restore its dignity, and secure its future.”
If the Islamic Republic eventually collapses, the real contest over Iran’s future may unfold in the political institutions that are quietly being built in preparation for that moment.
