FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
As Iran Faces Uncertain Future, Nixon Foundation and Persian American Civic Action Network (PACAN) to Convene Urgent Symposium on the Consequences of the 1979 Revolution and What Comes Next
Yorba Linda, CA — [4/1/2026] — At a moment of profound uncertainty in Iran and across the Middle East, the Richard Nixon Foundation, in partnership with the Persian American Civic Action Network (PACAN), will convene leading thinkers, historians, and policy voices for a timely symposium examining the enduring consequences of the 1979 Iranian Revolution—and the high-stakes implications of what may come next.
Nearly half a century ago, following the fall of the Shah, President Richard Nixon warned of the consequences that would follow: economic decline, political repression, and instability reverberating throughout the region. Today, as Iran enters a new and uncertain chapter, those warnings are once again at the forefront of global conversation.
Through its partnership with PACAN, the symposium will incorporate the perspectives of Iranian-Americans and civic leaders directly engaged with the region’s evolving political and social landscape. It will also bring together experts to assess the historical forces that reshaped Iran, the geopolitical fallout that continues to define the Middle East, and the potential trajectories for the Iranian people in the wake of recent developments.
The program will explore:
- The strategic relationship between the United States and Iran prior to 1979
- The regional and global consequences of the Shah’s fall
- The current state of Iran and the implications of leadership transition
- What policymakers, analysts, and the public should understand about what comes next
Confirmed participants include:
- Princess Noor Pahlavi — Daughter of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
- Christopher Nixon Cox — Board Member, Richard Nixon Foundation
- Arash Alaei — Faculty, Dept of Health & Sciences, University of California – Long Beach
- Behnam Ben Taleblu — Senior Iran Analyst, Foundation for Defense of Democracy
- Frank Gannon — Special Assistant to President Richard Nixon, Richard Nixon Foundation
- Jerrold Green — Academician, Senior Fellow, UCLA Burkle Center for Int’l Relations
- Mike Huckabee — U.S. Ambassador to Israel, U.S. Department of State
- Kimberly Reed — Past Chairman, President and CEO, Export-Import Bank of the U.S.
Tickets are required to attend. Registration and ticket information are available here.
Media Information
Credentialed members of the press are invited to attend. Interview opportunities with speakers may be available upon request.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Richard Nixon Foundation
carriea@nixonfoundation.org | 714-364-1116
