Former crown prince says Iran lost chance

Reza Pahlavi, the last crown prince of Iran’s Pahlavi dynasty, said on Jan. 16 that Iran should by now have become the South Korea of the Middle East, but instead it has become North Korea. Pahlavi, a vocal critic of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during recent anti-government protests, was drawing a stark comparison between Iran’s current reality and the divided Korean Peninsula. His remarks pointed to a country that has embraced anti-American and anti-Western ideology, endured prolonged economic hardship under international sanctions, and most recently suffered heavy casualties during nationwide protests.

Speaking at a news conference in Washington, D.C. later that day, Pahlavi said that at the time of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran’s gross domestic product was five times larger than South Korea’s, but has since deteriorated to resemble that of North Korea. He said the decline was not driven by a lack of talent or resources, but by a regime that deprives people of their livelihoods, exploits the nation and its resources, starves its population, and supports extremist terrorist groups and operatives inside and outside the region.

Pahlavi went on to say that the Islamic Republic of Iran will collapse and that he intends to return to the country. “The struggle unfolding in Iran is not a confrontation between reform and revolution, but between occupation and liberation,” he said. “The Islamic Republic of Iran will fall. It is only a matter of time.”

Pahlavi is the son of former King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who ruled Iran beginning in 1941. When the Islamic Revolution erupted in 1979, he was studying in the United States while undergoing pilot training. After the monarchy collapsed and revolutionary forces led by Ruhollah Khomeini seized power, he settled permanently in the United States.

During the current wave of anti-government protests in Iran, some demonstrators have drawn attention by calling for a return to the Pahlavi monarchy. However, many analysts say Pahlavi lacks meaningful influence inside Iran as a viable political alternative and does not have the capacity to mobilize substantial support from the international community.

Still, he has recently met with figures including Steve Witkoff, the White House special envoy for the Middle East, to discuss the Iran issue. Foreign media have also reported that President Donald Trump said of Pahlavi, “Iran may or may not accept his leadership, but as far as I am concerned, it would not be a problem at all.”

Pahlavi also said he would seek cooperation with Western countries to overcome Iran’s economic crisis after the collapse of the Khamenei system. “Iran will have fair relations with all countries, but because we seek a liberal democratic government, we will inevitably prioritize the West as allies and partners,” he said. “Iranians, unlike the current government, will pursue peace and stability and improve their quality of life through trade and commerce.”


Keun-Hyung Yoo noel@donga.com