You are missing part of the history. Iran was Democracy until 1953 when a CIA coup took down the government. Its a myth that Iran was only progressive because

You are missing part of the history. Iran was Democracy until 1953 when a CIA coup took down the government. Its a myth that Iran was only progressive because of the West. They were progressing without direct Western influence. The Shah was installed and he was super progressive (in some ways) pushing values on the population and that cause a huge backlash. The US essentially destroyed the only real democracy in the middle east.