Prince Reza Pahlavi: The Islamic Republic has turned Iran into the 'North Korea of the Middle East'

Prince Reza Pahlavi stated in an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday, April 23, that Iran should have become the second Japan in the Middle East by now; instead, it has become the second North Korea in the region. In response to Mika Brzezinski's question about the current regime in Tehran, he said, 'After forty years, the people of Iran can compare the path our country was on with the position it is in now. The reason is not that the people have changed or that our natural resources have run out; the only reason is the nature of the regime, which from the very beginning harbored the ambitious dream of spreading ideology in the world at the expense of the Iranian people, and instead of thinking about the progress and prosperity of the country, it only thought about expansionism. As a result, the people of Iran today are trapped in poverty and misery. Sixty percent of the population lives below the poverty line. The value of the Iranian currency has fallen to one ten-thousandth of its value at the time of the revolution. People are queuing for fuel and food, and they witness billions of dollars of the country's wealth being spent on rent-seeking and aiding other countries—such as helping Russia in the war against Ukraine—without a single rial being spent on the Iranian people. Therefore, the people have come to the conclusion that as long as this regime is in power, they will not have any opportunities; neither for ordinary freedoms nor for growth and prosperity.' In response to another question about what gives him confidence that the Tehran regime is 'fragile' after the severe crackdown on the 'Mahsa Revolution,' which involved imprisonment, execution, and brutal killings, he said, 'Generations of people have shown their opposition to the regime for decades, culminating in the uprising for women, life, freedom—which has been more powerful than all previous protests. However, I must point out a few things: we cannot expect people who are completely defenseless against the regime to stand up against a repressive regime with empty hands while lacking any foreign support. Instead, money is provided to the regime, which is used both for proxy wars and for suppressing the people. As citizens, people can only demand regime change through non-violent means. In the contemporary history of the world, no anti-racist or freedom movement has occurred without the support of the free world—like the Lech Wałęsa movement in Poland or the African National Congress fighting apartheid in South Africa. Their victories could not have been achieved without economic sanctions or maximum support for the people. The West must not only impose severe sanctions on the Tehran government but also provide the greatest support to the Iranian people; this will change the game in favor of the people. Key governments must understand that expecting a change in the behavior of the Islamic Republic is a futile expectation. These behaviors are in the DNA of the Tehran regime. They have the least regard for humanity, for justice.' Prince Reza Pahlavi, in response to a question about the nuclear ambitions of the Islamic Republic, said, 'As I mentioned before, the biggest issue in dealing with this regime is that they always have their finger on the trigger. Can they be trusted? Is there any guarantee that they will adhere to an agreement they have made? Tehran's nuclear program is like a ticking time bomb; it is unclear when it will go off. An agreement with the Islamic Republic solely over the nuclear program, without considering its interventions in neighboring countries and its proxy wars, is not correct. A dictatorial and totalitarian regime that could potentially acquire nuclear weapons is a threat. Therefore, the problem lies in the very nature of the regime, and in my opinion, no agreement can assure the other party that this regime will adhere to the terms of the agreement. Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the region understand that the regime itself is a threat. When this regime is destroyed, everything—from regional threats to instability, support for proxy groups, strengthening terrorism, and nuclear threats—will suddenly disappear. The alternative to this situation is that a regime that is not committed to cooperation, integration, and regional stability replaces one that acts completely contrary to the Islamic Republic.' Prince Reza Pahlavi warned Ali Khamenei to stop his 'foolishness' and not to lead Iran into the abyss of war.