It is evident that a lot of mistakes and excesses have been committed before the revolution. I don't deny it, on the contrary - there was evidently a lack of political liberty. I don't deny either that the revolt was popular, but those that spearheaded the revolution didn't want this result, Iran has regressed for twenty-two years. I prefer to speak of the future, history will judge what happened in the past.
As quoted by Afsané Bassir, Interview with Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the late Shah of Iran, Le Monde, June 6, 2001.