In an interview with CNN, Mr. Blair said, “I would prefer to see change from the bottom up in Iran right now. I mean, that is a country where if you had a free and fair election, I’ve got no doubt at all you’d have a different government and a government that would be far better for the stability of the region.”
With regards to the recent events in the Middle East, he said, “We’ve always been conscious that in the Middle East, you’ve got three elements. … You’ve got, of course, a government that is not elected … You’ve secondly got a group of people that want democracy … The third element, I’m afraid, is Islamist groups who would actually take the situation in a completely different direction. So it’s perfectly natural for those of us from the outside to want to support this movement for change.”
“What’s happened with Egypt, particularly with the army playing the role it’s playing, is that these protesters have been able to come on to the street and have been able to make their voice heard. Unfortunately, in other countries, it wouldn’t be possible,” he said.