Relations Between Iran And Iran

“ The Islamic Revolution of 1979: The Downfall of American- Iranian Relations” analyzes American- Iranian diplomacy from 1953- 1979. It is an explanation of the causes and developments of the Iranian revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise to power and

In September of 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, in the beginning of the eight year Iran-Iraq war. Iran was paranoid that Iraq’s leaders had “ambitions….in terms of expansion and regional hegemony”. 2 The invasion justified their fears. At first, we “did not have good relations with Iraq, which was had been close to the Soviet Union”.3 Although “not an ally of Iraq”, the United States believed that “Saddam Hussein should not be allowed to be defeated by a radical Islamist, anti-American regime”.4 There was speculation that the U.S. had given the Iraqis “the green light to launch war” against Iran.5 This would have been plausible because if Saddam Hussein, leader of Iraq, could seize oil-rich territory, the U.S. would then have “access to Iranian crude”.6 The United States also wanted to terminate the radical Khomeini government and with the prospect of Hussein capturing Iran’s main source of revenue, this was probable. Because of this, “over the next decade Washington would play an ambiguous role in the Iran-Iraq War.”7 Not only was Iraq receiving U.S. support, but Iran was too, despite the fact our relations with them were

“Remove all of the baggage- all of the ideology, the history …and look in purely geostrategic terms… it’s hard to figure out why the United States and Iran would necessarily be in conflict. In fact during the Shah’s era, before 1979- recognizing that there were all kinds of other problems- the Unites States and Iran worked together splendidly at the strategic level” ( qtd. in Addis). Initially, the United States and Iran maintained amicable relations but resentment rose in Iran over time toward the Americans. The Iran-contra with the United States lasted for more than a century, conflict beginning in the late 1800s until 1980. The Iran Hostage crisis on November 4th, 1979, served as the

Iranian hostility of United States can be traced back to the 1950s. The United States supported any regime that was not communist, even though they would be considered very unpopular with the people of their country. Because of this, Iran became an anti-communist country and the Shah became an ally of the United States. In 1950 the Shah left Iran when Mohammed Mossadegh was elected Prime Minister. After Mossadegh election, he used his authority and nationalized the oil industry in the country. This incident generated fear in the United States. The state department felt that communists could abuse this anarchy and Iran could turn against the United States. The Shah, who had been removed from power, contacted the United States and the Central

Ali M. Ansari’s novel Confronting Iran describes the United States relations with Iran. Ansari begins his telling of the ever changing relations between Iran and the US in 1911. Anasari describes the apprehension of the US to enter into Iranian relations because there existed no government by the western perspective. At the time the Iranian Government was largely reliant on other powerful countries around them. In 1911 the Iranian Government Invited American merchant banker Morgan Shuster to assist a team of the countries economist.

The effect of this take-over on Iran’s relationship to the USA and the west can still be felt in relations between these countries today. The Iranian hostage crisis led to a suspension of diplomatic relations between Iran and the USA as well as other Western democracies. While the Soviet Union accepted the legitimacy of the revolution, it initially supported attempts to reinstall the Shah as leader. American leaders were determined to keep the Shah in power because of the cold war tensions, which caused them to fear that Soviet Communism would spread to Iran, should the Shah fall. (Cohen, 1). But while

Since the early 1900s the United States has been embroiled in Iranian affairs, something that would have great effects both in 1979 and now. The United States’ interest in Iran was originally spurred by the discovery of oil, but due to the Cold War U.S. interest in Iran grew even more for strategic reasons. To continue to exert their influence in Iran, the United States, through the CIA, installed shah Pahlavi as ruler. The shah was a cruel and strict dictator and was eventually overthrown and exiled. In place of the shah, an Islamic Republic came to power under the rule of Ayatollah Khomeini.

In 1979, the United States of America was presented with a situation unlike any before: they received word that their embassy in Tehran, Iran, had been overtaken and all members of the embassy save six were being held hostage by Iranian revolutionaries. The road leading to this climactic period in American and Iranian history led back to almost thirty years of growing anti-American resentment. The Shah and the Supreme Ayatollah of Iran were at odds, creating a power struggle unlike any seen in modern history. The interaction of Western influence and Islamic culture and social structure reacted in an explosive way, culminating in what is now called the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

During the Cold War, the United States of America became concerned in the Soviet Union’s expansion into the middle east. As a result, the United States set its sights in influencing their democratic values in the nation of Iran. Working with the CIA, conservative Iranians found success in bringing the Shah Rezi Pahlava into power. However, his harsh and authoritative tactics sparked strong protests. In the upcoming years, Iran faced revolution as religious leaders gained popularity. As the Shah lost stability, discoveries were made about his close ties with America. The opposition ultimately led to protesters breaking into the U.S. Embassy and taking Americans hostage. As the crisis continued, the United States

Raised in a household of 3 other guys, by a wonderful lady by the name of Annie. I wasn’t raised in the best of ways and nothing came our way easy. We came from having nothing, no decent clothing, no healthy meal, no transportation, which cause little minor problems at school .Going to school i felt like an outcast. Reminding me of a story written by David Sedaris called “Me Talk Pretty”. She felt so different from the other classmates to where she felt left out. Moms was always working or out gambling and we were home with no money to purchase things we needed to get through the day. we didn't even have enough money to get a haircut from the barber college, which resigned on the second block down from our street. So i started cutting my brothers hair, as well as my own.

The relationship between the West and Iran has been notoriously rocky. Several main factors accumulating at the beginning in the 20th century have led to a perfect storm of religion, imperialism and radicalism that have come together to create the Islamic Republic of Iran that was built primarily on anti-Americanism. How did this happen and why is this republic so anti-American? The Islamic Republic is built upon a revolutionary type of anti-Americanism that can be “found among opposition groups seeking to overthrow regimes closely identified with the United States; attacking such regimes thus involves attacking the United States.”

From the beginning of Iran’s nuclear program, the United States has supported Iran’s proliferation;only recently, has that changed. Sam Roe for the Chicago Tribune reports that Iran’s nuclear program was launched in the 1950s, with bountiful help from the United States. Yet, US and Western participation in the Iranian Nuclear program quickly halted after the 1979 Iranian Revolution that toppled the Shah of Iran (“An Atomic Threat Made in America” Chicago Tribune). The change in regimes has not only ended US support for Iranian

Iran’s nuclear programme has in recent years worsened US-Iran relations. The United States accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons (Bahgat , 2009). Other reasons for mistrust include USA’s support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980’s. Specifically, Iran continues to resent the US supplying Iraq with the chemical weapons it used during the war. Adding fuel to the fire, in 1988, US guided missile Cruiser the USS Vincennes on station in the Persian Gulf mistakenly shot down Iranian Airlines flight 655 killing 290. (Milinski, n.d.)

Few outside countries have more at stake in the evolution of Iran’s political situation than the United States, which has been in a state of open enmity with the Islamic Republic for more than three decades. Threats of Iran-backed terrorism, Tehran’s apparent nuclear ambitions, and its evident aim of destabilizing American allies—chiefly Israel—are perpetually high on the list of US concerns in the region. Why is Iran so important to the US? What explains the enduring animosity between the two countries? Answers to these and other questions about the United States’ position in the region today can be found by looking back to the Cold War.

The U.S. and Iran used to have a great relationship back in the day. President Jimmy Carter even spent New Year 's Eve in 1977 with the Shah, and toasted Iran as "an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world".(Bakhtavar) This just goes to show how close the two countries were at the time. But all that changed later into the 1970’s when a series of unfortunate events eventually lead to the complete deterioration of US and Iran relations. These events shifted U.S. Iran relations in a way that still impacts both countries. Even to this day the US have expressed their dislike of the Iranian regime. Similarly, the Iranian leaders have shown their dislike, more like hatred, for the United States. But that brings up the