indeed where are they…
A highly vocal faction of the pro-monarchist Iranian diaspora in America actively lobbied for Donald Trump to use overwhelming military force to topple the Islamic Republic and clear a path for Reza Pahlavi.
During the heightened geopolitical tensions of 2026—marked by targeted U.S. and Israeli air strikes under "Operation Epic Fury"—this specific subset of the diaspora championed a "Make Iran Great Again" narrative. They viewed foreign military intervention as the only viable mechanism to smash the regime's security apparatus and restore the Pahlavi dynasty to the Peacock Throne.
The metaphor "like a mouse in a hole" (مثل موش در سوراخ قایم شدند) applies directly to the shifting dynamics of this political theater in several ways:
1. The Regime’s Initial Collapse
When U.S. and Israeli missiles successfully dismantled key command-and-control centers and decimated the leadership structure, the immediate reaction of many regime officials was panic. Intelligence reports at the time suggested that high-ranking clerics and military commanders were actively preparing to flee or hiding, truly embodying the phrase مثل موش در سوراخ قایم شدند as their parallel economy and security apparatus fractured.
2. The Illusion of the Diaspora's "Courage"
For years, hardline monarchist groups in Los Angeles ("Tehrangeles") and Washington D.C. operate safely from abroad, calling for the total obliteration of Iran's domestic infrastructure while facing zero personal risk. Critics of this faction note the irony: while demanding that American bombs "cut the snake's head off," these exiled elites remained safely tucked away in their Western sanctuaries—forcing the actual citizens inside Iran to bear the brunt of the devastation.
3. The Sudden Pivot to Back-Channel Diplomacy
Despite the diaspora's calls for total regime elimination and a glorious royal restoration, the geopolitical reality shifted sharply. By June 2026, President Trump bypassed the monarchists' grand ambitions, instead completing a sweeping diplomatic and economic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with remaining state elements to open the Strait of Hormuz and let oil flow.
When the dust settled, Reza Pahlavi publicly complained that contradictory U.S. messaging had "confused the hell out of everyone" and marginalized the opposition. Consequently, the hardline internet commentators who had boldly predicted a royal return suddenly went quiet, retreating into the digital shadows "like mice into a hole" as their dreams of a U.S.-installed Peacock Throne evaporated into realpolitik.
Where are all the “TANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP” and “TANK YOU, AMOO LINDSEY!” diaspora Iranians now?
Where are you?
You got on your knees to thank foreign leaders and politicians in the most humiliating fashion.
You thanked them for bombing your country when every single legitimate expert told you repeatedly that you cannot bomb your way out of this regime.
And you called them regime apologists when they told you the truth.
Where are you now?