Distinguished guests, dear friends, and fellow advocates of freedom and peace,
It is a great honor for me to receive the "Architect of Peace" Award from the Nixon Library today. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the leadership of the Nixon Library, the Nixon Foundation, and all those who work to preserve the legacy of a great statesman, President Richard Nixon.
This honor is especially meaningful to me, not only because of President Nixon's towering contributions to global peace, but because of the deep, personal connection between my family and him. Tonight, as we reflect on the legacy of peace and diplomacy, we recognize that standing for what is right sometimes requires standing alone — something President Nixon understood better than most.
When we think of President Nixon's legacy, we naturally recall his groundbreaking foreign policy: his bold decision to open relations with China, his efforts to ease tensions with the Soviet Union through the policy known as détente, and his tireless work to secure peace in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. But President Nixon's vision extended beyond the immediate concerns of his time. He saw the Middle East as a vital region — one that held the key to stability in an increasingly interconnected world. And it was President Nixon who best understood the vital role Iran played in securing peace and security in that region.
Iran, under my late father's leadership, stood as a pillar of stability in the Middle East. My father, the late Shah, worked tirelessly to build a modern, progressive Iran — a nation where economic growth, education, and development could flourish. And throughout those years, President Nixon stood as a trusted ally and a steadfast friend of Iran. He recognized, long before many others, the importance of a strong, peaceful Iran in safeguarding the stability of the Middle East.
But tonight, I wish to speak about something far more personal. For me, President Nixon's legacy is not confined to foreign policy; it also encompasses friendship and loyalty in the truest sense of those words.
Many of you are familiar with my family's difficult history. When my father went into exile, the world was quick to turn its back on him. Those who had once relied on his leadership, his vision, and even his patronage found it easier, in his moment of need, to abandon him. Yet amid all that disloyalty, one man remained. That man was President Nixon.
When my father passed away in 1980, President Nixon did not hesitate to travel to Egypt to attend his funeral. In doing so, he joined President Anwar Sadat as one of only two world leaders of significant global stature to attend. Despite the shifting political winds, and despite how much easier it would have been to turn away, as so many others chose to do, President Nixon chose to stand by his friend — and in doing so, he stood by the people of Iran.
It was not a decision based on political expediency; it was a decision rooted in principle and conviction. President Nixon understood what so many others chose to forget: that true friendship must not be a matter of convenience. Instinctively, not performatively, he knew that standing on the right side of history means doing so even when it is not popular.
Today, as I reflect on those difficult years, while I feel deep affection and gratitude toward Presidents Sadat and Nixon, I hold no bitterness toward the other world leaders who abandoned my father and my country. In truth, I do not think of them at all. For me, the greatest vindication does not come from leaders or political figures, but from the people of Iran themselves.
Today, in the streets of Iran, people chant my father's name. They remember him not merely as a leader of a bygone era, but as a symbol of sovereignty, progress, pride, and service to the nation. Despite the decades that have passed, his memory remains alive in the hearts of Iranians. His greatest vindication comes not from the actions of governments, but from the voices of ordinary people who honor his legacy.
As I said, President Nixon often stood alone. Many of those who fought for Iran's freedom also did so alone, against the pressures of global media and institutions. Even today, those pressures continue. But today the circumstances have changed. Because those ordinary people who honor my father's name do not do so merely out of nostalgia; they — millions of them across Iran — are extraordinarily brave. Because they no longer simply hope for the better future my father believed they deserved. They are fighting for it.
I was often told that I would not get far in the struggle for my country, because I had no apparatus of state, no adequate funding, and no army. But now I have such an army: my extraordinarily brave compatriots. And as someone who once wore my country's military uniform, there is no one I am prouder to stand beside than the people of Iran today. And I will stand with them until victory.
And so, as I accept this award tonight, I accept it not for myself alone, but for the people of Iran. This honor belongs to them. They are the true architects of peace. For decades, they have endured unimaginable suffering under a cruel regime that has sought to extinguish their hopes and aspirations. Yet despite everything, they continue to rise, and they continue to fight for the realization of our great civilization.
Their sacrifices have too often gone unnoticed on the world stage. But tonight, through this recognition, the Nixon Library is shining a light on their courage and resilience. Just as President Nixon once stood by my father, the Nixon Library now stands by the people of Iran, choosing not the easy or popular path, but the path of truth and justice.
For more than four decades, the people of Iran have struggled for their most basic human rights. They have faced persecution, imprisonment, torture, and death, simply for daring to demand what should be guaranteed to everyone: the right to live in peace, the right to freedom of expression, and the right to choose their leaders without fear.
From the student movement of 1999 and the regime's deadly attack on the dormitories of Tehran University, to the protests of 2009, when millions took to the streets in the name of freedom, to the freedom fighters of November 2019, to the brave youth of today who risk everything to defy the regime's oppressive laws — these are the true architects of peace. Their struggle is not for power or conquest; it is for the simple yet profound right to live with dignity.
Yet we stand at a dangerous juncture. The winds of war are blowing across our region. But let it be clear: this is not the war of the Iranian people. This is the war of a dictator, Ali Khamenei, who profits from division and conflict. The people of Iran do not seek war. They seek peace, security, and a future free of tyranny.
They are fighting for that future. Their struggle is not only for the freedom of Iran, but for freeing the Middle East, Arabs and Israelis alike, from the terror of the Islamic Republic.
It is because of these beloved compatriots of mine that I have remained in this fight. I seek nothing for myself; I wish only to serve them. As long as I live, I will continue my lifelong mission to free Iran from this repressive regime. I will do everything in my power to ensure that Iran's future is built on peace, democracy, and justice.
We stand on the threshold of change, and I remain committed to my duty to my country and my people. I will work with all my strength to ensure that Iran experiences a peaceful and secure transition to a secular democracy, in which all citizens live as equals and are safe from every form of discrimination.
In this mission, I draw inspiration from the great leaders of my youth — my father, President Sadat, and President Nixon. These men understood that peace does not simply mean the absence of war, but the presence of justice, dignity, and freedom. They were architects of a better world, and I intend to carry their legacy forward.
President Nixon's vision of a peaceful and secure Middle East remains as relevant and important today as it was during his presidency. His boldness in pursuing peace, his willingness to challenge the status quo, and his unshakable belief in freedom continue to inspire me.
At this moment, I accept this award not merely with hope, but with the conviction that the day is near when the people of Iran will once again take their rightful place in the world: a free, democratic, and peaceful Iran. This is the future we seek. This is the future we will achieve.
Once again, thank you for this great honor. I accept this award in memory of all the Iranians who have lost their lives in the struggle to reclaim Iran. As President Nixon's epitaph reads: "The greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker." Tonight, you have honored the memory of my fallen compatriots.
Thank you.