The Historic Reasons which have led American Relations with Iran to be so poor.
To understand Iran, you have to look back at history; but not through the lenses of common Western viewpoint. Iran was once an Empire of great global influence. It along with India, China, Iraq, and Egypt was a place where civilization first dawned in the ages of antiquity. The Persian Empire was an Empire which accorded freedom of religion to it’s citizens and basic human rights very early on. As time progressed the original Iranian Vedic religion which was related and nearly the same as the Indian Vedic Religion, would be transformed to a Zoroastrian based identity. Even then Vedism would persist in large parts of Iran, especially the Eastern regions which bordered India. India at the same time underwent the Indian Buddhist reforms, which the Indian State would spread outside of her border’s making Buddhism a global religion. In Iran, Buddhists could also be found just as in India Zoroastrians were found. India was a realm which was closely related in origin to Iran, and this fact was never lost on both nations. For it was all too obvious from language, culture and even religious references which used similar if not exactly the same vocabulary. An Indian perceptive based on this history, sheds a uniquely different view on Iran and it’s struggles for direction.
When in 638 A.D. Iran was invaded by Arab Conquistadors spreading Islam, there was no expectation that the Persian Empire would fall. The humiliating defeat resulted from fighting tactics employed by the Islamic Armies, which negated the concept of chivalry all together. For untold millennia battles would not directly involve the capture of Women and Children in Iran and India. In fact battles were planned at fought at certain times as well. And then time was given to perform funerals and even rest. The complete savagery of the Islamic Invasion of Iran, is lost on most historians, as it was a complete destruction of nearly all the written records of an Empire which stretched back 1500 years at that time. The centers of the Zoroastrian faith were destroyed, and over the next two centuries, Buddhism, and remnants of the Vedic Religion would be completely destroyed.
As time progressed, Iran would attempt to make peace with these atrocities which scarred their nation’s soul. The end result was the development of the Shia faith. This faith carries forward many elements of the Zoroastrian and Vedic past. It is a faith which can be stated to be a Persian form of Islam. The Persian language also was greatly affected by the invasion, Arabic loan words would eventually become nearly 40% of the total vocabulary. These words were even carried into India via Persian. Cultural interaction between Persia and India resumed after Iran came out of it’s dark period of invasion.
The successful development of the Iranian oil fields by the British in the early 1900’s led to the founding of the Anglo-Persian Oil Corporation in 1908. This would later be named the Anglo-Iranian Oil Corporation. The development of these first major oil fields would forever change Iran’s fortunes. Iran at the time was ruled by the Qajar Dynasty. It had become a state which in many ways was progressive as it had allowed a Parliament and there were modern Universities. Western style, sciences and education were encouraged. In fact under the later part of the Qajar Dynasty, Iran could have been called a progressive nation. For in the Middle East only Turkey would embark on such a course of development. But Iran’s fortunes would change with the discovery of oil. This resource is both a blessing and curse. because of the involvement it always brings of major Western Powers. It has created far more problems for Middle Eastern nations and that can be described here.
Reza Khan, Founder of the Pahlavi Dynasty
For Iran, the immediate issue became the fact, that the British were not paying Iran a fair share of the oil revenue. These gripes however would be not be brought to a forefront until after the Qajar Dynasty would be overthrown in 1925. The oil revenue which did come into Iran did not play a great role in it’s development at this time. Oil revenues were not even considerable, in comparison to the changes which were taking place politically. Iran would loose it’s Caucasus territories and end up with the Soviet Union as it’s new Northern Neighbor after World War I. Increasing British influence over Iran’s oil resources and internal affairs would further weaken Qajar control. Finally the military would rebel because of defeats with the U.S.S.R. and seizing this opportunity a Brigadier General by the name of Reza Khan would successfully overthrow the Qajar Dynasty and found what would become to be known as Pahlavi Dynasty.
Reza Khan had been part of the Cossack regiments of the Persian Army, and he had been dislocated by the loss of the Caucasus territories. His main goal once he became Shah was to protect Iran from both Soviet and British influence. He would immediately institute an official change in name from Persia to Iran. For in Farsi, Persia is called Iran. The name itself carries forward from the Vedic Age as Iran comes from the Sanskrit and Avestan word “Arya” (Sanskrit Knowledge) or noble. Those who had knowledge of the Vedic Religion refereed to themselves as such. Reza Khan’s often brutish political skill was felt immediately for he began renegotiating the amounts of oil revenue to be paid to Iran by the British. The deal he would negotiate in 1933, has been criticized but it was the best he was able to do.
Reza Khan, would also institute a strong Secular system of rule. This would become very unpopular with the clergy but very popular with a new educated Middle Class, which could now venture to educate themselves without the guilt which theocratic dogma created. He would successfully diversify the Iranian Petroleum industry by having German experts come in. This notion of course of action created even more friction with the British as World War II approached. The British would officially demand that all German Technicians be removed from Iran before the outbreak of World War II. The Shah would refuse these requests and this would be the “official” impetus to an invasion of Iran by British led forces (Reza Shah — Wikipedia). Though assurances were granted that foreign forces would leave by 1946, the damage would be profound in the long run for Iran as a nation.
The Soviet Union had adopted the Iranian Tudeh Party as their voice of influence in this invasion. A Soviet Region of Control had been established in the North. Reza Khan was forced by the Anglo-Soviet invasion to abdicate the Throne in favor of his son Mohammad Reza in 1941, The implication of this forced political move would be a catalyst for long term decline of the political situation in Iran. Shah Reza Khan, had been a popular and particularly admired leader by a great portion of the Iranian population. He had stood his ground against the West in the minds of most Iranians, and tried to make Iran a secular and prosperous nation. Shah Mohammad Reza, would never command this same respect for he started out as a Monarch who was forced to accept the reduction of Iranian sovereignty and share of oil revenues. For the average Iranian, Shah Mohammad Reza was perceived as the West’s crony, when in fact he was a leader who had his hands tied in these years. Iran had no easy course, it was not in a position like India, where a beneficial relationship could be setup with Soviet Union to balance the West. The only way to have done this, would have been to abolish the Monarchy and setup a more socialist state.
The Shah of Iran, was not a simpleton, and in 1951, Prime Minister Mossaddegh was appointed by the Shah, after a Vote in the Majlis or Assembly. The Shah could have refused to do so, but he did not. It was very clear that Mossaddegh was from the Qajar family, and he would nationalize the oil wealth of Iran for the benefit of the Iranian people. The Shah was not discontent with this, for in later years he would lament upon how his father had negotiated what he called a “Bad deal” (Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — Wikipedia) with the British in 1933 for Iran. Thus, it can only be stated that Shah of Iran, reluctantly joined the Coup being planned by American intelligence and directed by Kermit Roosevelt and the British. As for England, the loss of Iranian oil revenues was unbearable since they no longer had India to siphon for capital and forced labor.
In the first several attempts, Kermit Roosevelt could not get cooperation from the Shah in fact it seems he did not want to participate. It was only after many failed attempts that the effort begin to pay off. The Shah was forced to flee to Baghdad, and he now had no choice but to go along with the next attempt which would put him back in power. The already perceived Western Crony would now have his image forever tarnished. For most Iranians the Shah looked like a leader who had a made a deal with the West to sell cheap oil for support to keep himself in power. The reality of the situation may have been quite different. The Shah may have wanted to nationalize the Iranian Oil Assets, but had instead allowed Mosseddegh to do so. He had not protested at even his own perceived loss of power. But the British and Americans would out maneuver this possible plan, and pit him against the very nation he tried to assist. Instead the cards were turned on him, and he had to fight for his own survival, as the failed Coup attempt had made him appear to be part of it. The Shah would eventually show his true colors, he would for nearly 20 years slowly build Iran’s military and economy. And finally in 1971, he moved forward with nationalizing Iran’s Oil Wealth once more. This time he was successful in doing so. Yet, once more he had underestimated the West. For within 8 years his throne would be taken away right from underneath him, from threats which he had all so well contained.
Shah of Iran early 1970’s.
Tehran Iran, 1970’s
Iran used it’s oil wealth to send multitudes of Students abroad to study. A system of national health care was being developed. The Shah of Iran created an environment where women enjoyed freedoms which were not found in most of the Middle East at that time. The U.S. would in 1977, begin pushing the Shah for Human Rights Reforms. This constant pressure made the Iranian Royal Army and it’s intelligence services wary of using force to put down opposition movements. At this time the growing Westernization of Iran was leading to some push back from the clergy. This movement however was not strong enough nor organized enough to topple the Shah. A hereditary religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini would emerge more powerful than ever. His influence began stretching across all of the Iranian countryside. But behind this new found power, was foreign support. The French government was allowing him to function freely, to stir up resistance in Iran, and to communicate with intelligence agents of other nations. It is now well known that Ayatollah Khomeini was in touch with U.S. intelligence services for years.
From his exile in Najaf, Iraq to his new home in France, Ayatollah Khomeini became a force to be reckoned with in the late 1970’s. His theocratic sermons and talk of “Social Justice”, began appearing all over Iran on tape cassettes. The message spoke of a utopia like world, which he had no financial plan to create. Yet, for those in the countryside this message carried a popularity far beyond it’s unrealistic actuality. The U.S. continued to pressure the Royal Iranian Military to not use force to put down protests. The theocratic movement was growing through late 1977, and the Shah of Iran did not authorize the only action which could have saved his secular regime, a large free hand given to military to restore order.
Shah of Iran and President Carter
The situation in Iran deteriorated rapidly in early 1978, the nation was paralyzed by strikes in Qom and other major cities. The S.A.V.A.K. which had been ordered to stand down, was blamed for incidents it was not even involved in. The press in the West, was spreading false news about the iron handed rule of the Shah of Iran. Yet the Shah of Iran was pardoning those who were trying assassinate him. The revolutionaries would parade empty coffins, as they could not find any real martyrs. The Shah of Iran only employed 4000 S.A.V.A.K. agents, and their prisons were open to the International Red Cross for inspection. In 1977, when President Carter came on a state visit to Iran, the U.S. media would report that Tehran had been clamped down on as there were no cars to be seen. Of course there were not many on the street, President Carter left for the Airport at 6:00 A.M. The Shah had no way to stop all traffic in Tehran. When the Shah visited the White House, a large crowd of Shah Supporters with large posters were standing outside. But this larger crowd of people, was not allowed to get near the cameras, and instead a group of masked people with bicycle chains and sticks were to be seen on live news coverage. The trick would be repeated during his visit. Amazingly these protesters could not speak Farsi nor did they appear to even be Iranian. The U.S. had decided that the Shah’s ambition for Iran was a threat and it was going against it’s “Ally”.
Shah of Iran and President Carter
As 1978 continued, the U.S. would overstep all diplomatic norms and send General Huyser to Iran. He would only meet with the Shah of Iran for 30 minutes, and then hold meetings with the heads of the Iranian Military, and with Amir Hossien Rabbi the Commander and Chief of the Royal Iranian Air Force. Before his execution at the hands the “Islamic Revolutionaries” in 1979, Rabbi would state clearly that General Huyser told them, to not fight for their Sovereign and Government who they were obligated to protect, and if they used force the U.S. would cut off all ammunition. Thus, General Huyser had told them to commit treason against their leader and nation. Amazingly, General Huyser went to Iran with no written instructions. Of course logically looking at it, why would Western Intelligence agencies want to memorialize such unethical actions.
Shah of Iran Left Extreme and General Amir Hossien Rabbi at the right extreme.
The Shah of Iran after giving in once more to American pressure would simply leave Iran, and he would never return. The U.S. would deny him asylum, and it has been rumored over the years that the U.S. might have even been preparing to send him back to Tehran to be put on trial in a cage that was being constructed there for this purpose. It was a last minute gesture by Egyptian President Anwar Saddat which granted the Shah of Iran refuge in Egypt until his death. The U.S. had paved the way for Ayatollah Khomeini believing a theocratic regime would accomplish the task of spreading revolution to the Soviet Muslim Majority Republics and open Iran up to having Western Oil Companies present once more. But the Ayatollah, had other plans and he played a political game which ended President Carter’s chances of being reelected. The Ayatollah created the American Hostage Crisis, and then executed the Iranian Military’s best minds. This theocratic nightmare would have ended, if not for the Iraqi Invasion of Iran in 1980. For this act solidified the theocratic regime in the face of a secular enemy. For both Iran and Iraq this war would scar their national souls and take away their near developed status as nations. Their prosperity would never reach the same levels as it had in the late 1970’s ever again.
Ayatollah Khomeini
When the Iran-Iraq war ended in August 1988, the Iranian revolution had not spread to other nations. Instead Iran’s military had been completely destroyed. Only 100 tanks remained, and the Iranian Air Force was largely grounded because it had lost fighter jets it could not replace because of sanctions. Those which remained could not fly because it had no way to make avionic parts. But, a remarkable thing had happened, Iran had survived the war. The theocratic regime had found support, and it had developed a self-reliance in Iran which had not existed in the time of the Shah. For in the now long ago 1970’s, Iran could pay for imported materials, medicines and technology. In 1988, Iran began to rebuild and it largely did so without any outside assistance. Some of the medical techniques learned from the Iran-Iraq war are used internationally for trauma today.
Iran’s relationship with the U.S. is not based on any type of trust. The history of Iran since the discovery of oil in 1907, has been one of Western interference, invasion and tampering with political events in Iran. The very fact that Iran has endured a second Islamic Invasion in the form of the current regime is because of politics being played against the Shah by the West. The very reason Iran did not become a Democracy in 1953, was because of a Western Sponsored Coup D’etat. The Shah of Iran, never wanted to turn Iran into a Saudi Arabia. He wanted Iran to become a self-sufficient nation. He encouraged education, nationalism based upon the Pre-Islamic History of Iran, and created prosperity via the Nationalization of Iran’s oil assets. His moves to create Atomic Energy in Iran and weapon self sufficiency would turn him into a target for removal. The belief that a theocratic fanatic could be trusted was only greed in the West getting in the way of common sense.
Ayatollah Khomeini had no greater plan that get into power to restore his lineage to power, and ensure it would control Iran. He had no desire to create a utopia nor to allow any nation to own the oil wealth of Iran. In some ways, there is less distribution of wealth today than even the time of the Shah. At least the Shah of Iran would have moved to change this factor had he remained in power. Even the Zoroastrian faith which should be a source of pride for Iran is being discriminated against in it’s own nation of origin. The theocratic regime has not made the world safer nor Iran. It has made it possible to justify sanctions against Iran for decades. And, the people of Iran have suffered through war and the loss of their freedoms. The U.S. recently pulled out of the Iranian Nuclear Accord without a valid reason. Iran was again placed under sanctions. The pattern continues once more. What tomorrow holds is never definite, but it is certain that there is no real basis for trust to develop today.
