Iran: Information About Country Essay Example

power. The nationalist leader received significant support from the Tudeh party (a communist group). Although Mossedeq was re-elected as Prime Minister by the Majlis for a second term, he promptly resigned due to the Shah's refusal to grant him complete control over the military and Ministry of War.

He was then reappointed by the shah and given full control of the military due to pressure from the Iran Parliament and people. Taking advantage of his popularity, Mossedeq convinced the parliament to increase his powers and appoint Ayatollah Kashani, followed by radical Muslims and the Tudeh Party, as the house speaker. Mossadeq proceeded to implement socialist reforms by abolishing Iran's feudal agriculture sector and replacing it with collective farming and government land ownership. In 1953, under Eisenhower, the United States and Britain teamed up to overthrow Mossadeq out of concern that his nationalist beliefs could eventually lead to a communist takeover. Initially, their plan, known as Operation Ajax, appeared to fail as the Shah fled the country. However, with assistance from the CIA and British intelligence services, Mosseadeq was ultimately defeated.

The Shah regains power with the backing of Western oil interests, thus averting a communist expansion and resuming negotiations with Britain on oil agreements. General Fazlollah Zahedi, leader of Operation Ajax, assumes the role of prime minister. The struggling economy of Zahedi's government is promptly aided by a $45 million assistance from the United States. In 1955, Iran becomes a member of the Baghdad Pact, an alliance that includes Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan, with Britain as part and the United States as a supporter (although not a full member). The pact is later renamed the Central Treaty

Organization after Iraq's exit in 1958.

Despite regional turmoil, tense relations with the Soviet Union, and the ongoing Cold War, the Shah of Iran solidified his country's alliance with the United States. Starting in 1963, he introduced a series of modernization reforms to revolutionize Iran. These changes were partly influenced by pressure from U.S. President John F. Kennedy and domestic demands for change. With assistance from the United States, the Shah successfully implemented many of these reforms. However, corruption tainted certain aspects of these changes despite their lack of substantial improvements in democratic representation. Nevertheless, the White Revolution played a role in advancing Iran's technology and economy.

Despite the positive effects of the reforms implemented during the White Revolution, they also had negative consequences. These reforms faced opposition from the powerful clergy class, resulting in a reduction of their traditional powers and diminishing their influence in rural areas. Although the White Revolution brought economic advancements and technological progress through various reforms, setbacks like the land reform program, lack of democratic reforms, and continued hostility from both the clergy and land elites hindered its success. Ultimately, these failures played a significant role in the downfall of the Shah during the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

In 1973, as part of its efforts to strengthen Iran and weaken Iraq's pro-Soviet regime, the United States provided support to Kurdish rebels in Iraq.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter of the United States emphasized the importance of human rights in foreign policy. Nevertheless, in 1979, Iran made an agreement with Iraq that caused the U.S to withdraw their support and decline offering sanctuary to the Kurds in Iran. Consequently, the Iraqi government mercilessly carried out

a large-scale massacre of many Kurdish individuals (10, 4).

Carter issued a threat to Iran, stating that arms shipments would be cut off unless there were improvements made to their human rights laws. In response, the Shah released 357 political prisoners, eased censorship regulations, and reformed the court system. However, this relaxation of restrictions resulted in increased opposition campaigns. Writers actively campaigned for freedom of thought, leading to public demonstrations. Furthermore, many lawyers united to raise awareness about the SAVAK, the Shah’s secret police, which targeted and suppressed any potential challengers to power.

S. ) torture and to monitor prison conditions. Numerous powerful leaders assassinated during the Shah's time were all attributed to the SAVAK (12,4). The initial phases of the Iranian Revolution commenced in 1978, primarily led by the urban middle class opposing the Shah.

The public's anger intensified when the Shah implemented martial law and prohibited demonstrations. On September 8, 1978, a massive protest known as Black Friday erupted in Tehran, during which the regime employed various weapons to attack demonstrators, resulting in hundreds of casualties. As December progressed, there were numerous protests and an escalating death toll. Surprisingly, despite the risks involved, more and more individuals joined the protests. Eventually, the army began supporting the protesters and assumed control of military bases. Nevertheless, by the time the Shah agreed to enact a new constitution and appoint a new Prime Minister, it was already too late; many had already pledged their allegiance to Ayatollah Rulollah Khomeini - someone who had been exiled by the Shah fifteen years earlier.

On January 16, 1979, the Shah fled Iran and two weeks later Khomeini returned to take power and establish

the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In 1979, there was a complete reversal in the relationship between the United States and Iran. The United States tried unsuccessfully to support the Shah's regime while Khomeini consolidated his power leading to the Shah's eventual escape from Iran. President Jimmy Carter then declined further assistance to the Shah and showed no desire for his reinstatement.

In October 1979, President Carter permitted the Shah's arrival in the United States to receive medical care, disregarding Iran's request. This action infuriated Iran's revolutionary government and reaffirmed their conviction that America had influence over the ex-Iranian leader. On November 1, 1979, Khomeini incited protests against American interests in Iran, vehemently opposing the United States and labeling it as the "Great Satan" and a nation of unbelievers. Numerous followers of Khomeini congregated near U.S.

S. embassy in Tehran was seized by around 500 Iranian students on November 4th. They identified themselves as Imam’s Disciples and overwhelmed the embassy's defense. Communication equipment and sensitive documents were promptly destroyed by the students.

Destroyed documents at the embassy revealed that the United States intelligence attempted to destabilize the new regime. Among the 90 individuals in the embassy, 66 were apprehended, including three from the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Khomeini capitalized on this opportunity to consolidate his authority and expressed support for taking action against what he referred to as the American "den of spies." The hostage-taking by Khomeini revolutionaries was justified as retaliation for the Shah's entrance into the United States. The students vowed to not release their captives until they repatriated the Shah back to Iran for trial, along with alleged stolen billions of dollars.

Although the United States stated that the

Shah had come to America due to medical reasons, Iranians believed that his true intention was to plan a comeback and regain control in Iran. President Carter personally assumed the responsibility of ensuring the hostages' safe return to the United States. In just two weeks, Carter implemented several economic and diplomatic actions against Iran. These actions consisted of imposing an oil embargo on Iran, expelling numerous Iranians (even those not connected to the hostage crisis or new Iranian government) from the United States, and seizing over $8 billion worth of Iran's assets within U.S. jurisdiction.

Despite the frustration of the American public, President Carter opted against pursuing further action against Iran out of concerns for the safety of the hostages. Nonetheless, on April 11, 1980, he ultimately granted approval for a perilous rescue operation.

The text reveals that after several months, the Desert One project ended without success. During the operation, three helicopters experienced malfunctions and another helicopter collided with a plane, resulting in the deaths of eight servicemen and injuries to three others. Following the disastrous outcome, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance resigned as he had opposed the mission. This accidental catastrophe caused significant turmoil in Iran and brought embarrassment to President Carter. By the end of 1980, various factors such as the death of the shah in Egypt and the start of the Iran-Iraq War made Iran more willing to resolve the hostage crisis.

President Carter's failure to secure the release of the hostages led to his defeat by Ronald Reagan in the Presidential elections. After Reagan's inauguration on January 20, 1981, the United States traded $8 billion in Iranian assets for the hostages who had

been held captive in Iran for 444 days. Despite ongoing tensions regarding the hostage crisis, a border conflict emerged between Iraq and Iran. Saddam Hussein, leader of Iraq, viewed this as an opportunity to gain territory from Iran and potentially overthrow the Khomeini regime. This posed a threat to conservative regimes such as Saudi Arabia and those in the Persian Gulf region, who were concerned that Iran's Islamic Revolution would influence their own population living under oppressive rule.

Maybe Discuss the Algiers Agreement Act

The Iran-Iraq War started in September 1980 when Iraq launched a full-scale invasion. On September 22nd, Iraqi troops invaded Iraq. The Iraqi Communist Party, broadcasting from the Soviet Union since March 1981 due to oppression by Saddam Hussein, called for an end to the war and withdrawal of Iraqi troops. Initially, Iraq expected a quick victory over Iran, but by 1982, Iran's larger population was able to push back against the Iraqi forces. Despite Congress' objections, President Reagan removed Iraq from the list of known terrorist countries in February 1982.

In 1982, Israel initiated a military operation in Lebanon which resulted in Iran providing support to Lebanese Muslims as they resisted against Israel. In July of the same year, with U.S. assistance, Lebanese Christian forces kidnapped four Iranian diplomats.

In the following nine years, Lebanon, supported by Iran, responded by kidnapping several American individuals. The worsening relationship between Iran and the United States was also demonstrated in April 1983 when a suicide bomber used a pickup truck filled with explosives to target the U.S. Embassy located in Beirut, Lebanon.

A tragic event claimed the lives of 63 individuals, including 17 Americans. Among the American casualties, eight

were identified as CIA employees. The Reagan administration attributed this incident to Hezbollah, a Lebanese political and military organization believed to have support from Iran and Syria. Another incident took place in October when an individual detonated a truck loaded with explosives at the U.S. Marine barracks located at Beirut International Airport.

The suicide bombing led to the death of 241 Marines and caused injuries to over 100 others. Although there was no concrete evidence, the United States believed Hezbollah to be responsible for this attack. A year later, a truck bomb detonated near the U.S. Embassy annex in northeast Beirut, resulting in the fatalities of 24 individuals, including two U.S. military personnel. These incidents, combined with suspicions regarding Iran's involvement, influenced the United States' decision to restore diplomatic relations with Iraq. These relations had been severed following the Arab-Israeli war in 1967. Furthermore, as the CIA established a link between Washington and Baghdad to facilitate quicker intelligence sharing from the United States to Iraqis, it came to light that the United States had also covertly supported Iran during the violent Iran-Iraq War.

In an effort to rescue American hostages in Lebanon, the United States made a significant error in its foreign policy. President Ronald Reagan was aware that there was potential for an agreement to bring the hostages back home in 1985 and 1986. However, this proposed agreement involved selling weapons to Iran, despite Congress prohibiting such sales to countries known for supporting terrorism like Iran. Despite this prohibition, President Reagan proceeded with secretly providing arms to Iran.

The United States violated its neutrality between Iran and Iraq, which was hypocritical considering the U.S. government's push for

others to do the same. The public criticized the U.S. government's policy of refusing to negotiate with terrorists. However, Washington's effort to improve relations with both sides came to an end in late 1986 when the Iranian government leaked information.

By providing arms to Iran, the United States created the perception among the Arab nations that its alliance with Iran was more important than its alliance with them. To regain their trust, the neutral United States had to heavily support Iraq. Consequently, from then until 1989, the United States sent 70 shipments of biological exports to Iraq.

Iran-Contra Affair

On July 3, 1988, the American Navy cruiser USS Vincennes unintentionally shot down an Iranian passenger plane in the Gulf, resulting in the tragic death of all 290 passengers on board. President Reagan expressed his profound remorse for the error. The Iranian government perceived this incident as proof of the United States' intention to participate in the conflict with Iraq. In the final significant confrontation between Iran and Iraq, more than 65,000 Iranians lost their lives due to the use of chemical weapons, the majority of which were supplied by the United States.

Following a significant battle, Iran and Iraq announced a ceasefire. At the start of the Persian War, the United Nations, led by the United States, launched an offensive against Iraq due to their invasion of Kuwait and theft of its oil. Iran, declared as neutral, watched as the UN successfully ousted Iraqi troops from Kuwait, resulting in relatively few casualties.