Iran’s Last Crown Prince: “Iran Should Have Become the ‘South Korea of the Middle East,’ But Became North Korea Instead”

Pahlavi: "The Revolution Turned Iran into the North Korea of the Middle East"
"The Islamic Regime Will Fall... I Will Return"

Reza Pahlavi, the last Crown Prince of Iran's Pahlavi dynasty (age 65), drew a comparison between the current situation in Iran and North Korea during a press conference in Washington, DC, claiming, "Iran should have become the South Korea of the Middle East, but it has become North Korea instead."

According to AFP on the 17th (local time), former Crown Prince Pahlavi made these remarks at a recent press conference in Washington, DC. During a Q&A session about his vision for Iran, Pahlavi stated, "Iran will maintain fair relations with all countries, but since we desire a free and democratic government, we have no choice but to align with the West." He added, "Unlike the current regime, the Iranian people want to improve their quality of life through peace, stability, and trade."

Reza Pahlavi, former Crown Prince of Iran. Yonhap News Agency

He went on to say, "At the time of the revolution, Iran's gross domestic product (GDP) was five times higher than South Korea's, but today Iran has become like North Korea." He criticized the regime, saying, "This is not due to a lack of resources, but because the regime has destroyed people's livelihoods, exploited resources, and supported extremist groups and regional spy networks." Pahlavi also targeted the international community, stating, "A policy of appeasement has only delayed the collapse of the regime."

In an interview with The Guardian last year, Pahlavi also remarked, "If not for the revolution, Iran would have prospered like South Korea in the Middle East, but instead, we have become like North Korea." During the recent press conference, he declared, "The Islamic Republic will fall," and directly stated, "I will return to Iran."

As anti-government protests have spread nationwide, but with no organized opposition leader, Pahlavi is being mentioned as virtually the only alternative. At the press conference, he asserted, "The collapse of the Islamic Republic is only a matter of time," and called for international intervention.

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a religious address on the 17th, blamed the United States and Israel for the protests, explicitly targeting former U.S. President Donald Trump. Khamenei claimed, "The U.S. president is responsible for the casualties and slander inflicted on the Iranian people," adding, "The goal of the United States is to once again dominate Iran militarily, politically, and economically."

Meanwhile, the Norwegian human rights group 'Iran Human Rights' reported that more than 3,400 people have died during the crackdown. Foreign media outlets also reported that Iranian state media claimed Nazanin Baradaran, identified as a key figure behind the protests, had been arrested, and that she had allegedly operated under an alias on behalf of Pahlavi.