<P> In the 1970s, Iran had an economic growth rate equal to that of South Korea, Turkey and Taiwan, and Western journalists all regularly predicated that Iran would become a First World nation within the next generation . Significantly, a "reverse brain drain" had begun with Iranians who had been educated in the West returning home to take up positions in government and business . The firm of Iran National ran by the Khayami brothers had become by 1978 the largest automobile manufacturer in the Middle East producing 136,000 cars every year while employing 12,000 people in Meshed . One of the Khayami brothers complained if had not been for the revolution "Iran National would be where the South Korean car industry is today". Mohammad Reza had strong etatist tendencies and was deeply involved in the economy with his economic policies bearing a strong resemblance to the same etatist policies being pursued by General Park Chung - hee in South Korea at the same time . Mohammad Reza considered himself to be a socialist, saying he was "more socialist and revolutionary than anyone". Reflecting his self - proclaimed socialist tendencies, though unions were illegal, but the Shah brought in labour laws that were "surprising fair to workers". Iran in the 1960s and 70s was a tolerant place for the Jewish minority with one Iranian Jew, David Menasheri, remembering that Mohammad Reza's reign was the "golden age" for Iranian Jews when they were equals, and when the Iranian Jewish community was one of the wealthiest Jewish communities in the world . The Baha'i minority also did well after the bout of persecution in the mid-1950s ended with several Baha'i families becoming prominent in world of Iranian business . </P> <P> In 1961, the Francophile Mohammad Reza visited Paris to meet his favourite leader, General Charles de Gaulle of France . Mohammad Reza saw height as the measure of a man and a woman (the Shah had a marked preference for tall women) and the 6'5 de Gaulle was his most admired leader . Mohammad Reza loved to be compared to his "ego ideal" of General de Gaulle, and his courtiers constantly flattered him by calling him Iran's de Gaulle . During the French trip, Queen Farah, who shared her husband's love of French culture and language, befriended the culture minister André Malraux, who arranged for the exchange of cultural artifacts between French and Iranian museums and art galleries, a policy that remained a key component of Iran's cultural diplomacy until 1979 . Many of the legitimising devices of the regime such as the constant use of referendums were modelled after de Gaulle's regime . Intense Francophiles, Mohammad Reza and Farah preferred to speak French rather than Persian to their children . Mohammad Reza built the Niavaran palace which took up 9, 000 square feet and whose style was a blend of Persian and French architecture . </P> <P> The Shah's diplomatic foundation was the United States' guarantee that it would protect him, which was what enabled him to stand up to larger enemies . While the arrangement did not preclude other partnerships and treaties, it helped to provide a somewhat stable environment in which Mohammad Reza could implement his reforms . Another factor guiding Mohammad Reza in his foreign policy was his wish for financial stability which required strong diplomatic ties . A third factor in his foreign policy was his wish to present Iran as a prosperous and powerful nation; this fuelled his domestic policy of Westernisation and reform . A final component was his promise that communism could be halted at Iran's border if his monarchy was preserved . By 1977, the country's treasury, the Shah's autocracy, and his strategic alliances seemed to form a protective layer around Iran . </P> <P> Although the U.S. was responsible for putting the Shah in power, he did not always act as a close U.S. ally . In the early 1960s, when a policy planning staff that included William R. Polk encouraged the Shah to distribute Iran's growing revenues more equitably, slow the rush toward militarisation, and open the government to political processes, he became furious and identified Polk as "the principal enemy of his regime ." In July 1964, the Shah, Turkish President Cemal Gürsel and Pakistani President Ayub Khan announced in Istanbul the establishment of the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) organisation to promote joint transportation and economic projects . It also envisioned Afghanistan's joining at some time in the future . The Shah of Iran was the first regional leader to recognise the State of Israel as a de facto state, although when interviewed on 60 Minutes by reporter Mike Wallace, he criticised American Jews for their presumed control over U.S. media and finance . In a 1967 memo to President Lyndon Johnson, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara wrote that "our sales (to Iran) have created about 1.4 million man - years of employment in the U.S. and over $1 billion in profits to American industry over the last five years", which led McNamara to conclude that Iran was an arms market the United States could not do without . In June 1965, after the Americans proved reluctant to sell Mohammad Reza some of the weapons he asked for, the Shah visited Moscow where the Soviets agreed to sell some $110 million worth of weaponry; the threat of Iran pursuing the "Soviet option" caused the Americans to give in on selling Iran weapons . Additionally, British, French and Italian arms firms were willing to sell Iran weapons, thus giving Mohammad Reza considerable leverage in his talks with the Americans, who sometimes worried that the Shah was buying more weapons than Iran needed or could handle . </P>

Who was irans leader who embraced western governments after world war 2
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