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The Future of Iran: A North Korea or South Korea Scenario?

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The Future of Iran: A North Korea or South Korea Scenario?
An Iranian woman walks past a mural in a sidewalk in downtown Tehran, Iran, in a file photo. AP Photo/Vahid Salemi
Fariba Parsa
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Commentary

As Iran nears a historic turning point, the question before policymakers and analysts is no longer whether the Islamic Republic can sustain its ideological project, but what comes next. Will Iran evolve into a regional democracy like South Korea, or will it sink into isolation and totalitarianism like North Korea?

Fariba Parsa
Fariba Parsa
Author
Dr. Fariba Parsa is the founder and president of Women's E-Learning in Leadership (WELL), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in Iran and Afghanistan through online leadership education and training. Dr. Parsa holds a doctorate in social science, specializing in Iranian politics with a focus on political Islam, democracy, and human rights. She is the author of “Fighting for Change in Iran: The Women, Life, Freedom Philosophy against Political Islam.”