Iranian Revolution: Foreign Affairs
The year 1979 was incredibly impactful internationally. The USSR invaded Afghanistan, Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and arguably the most influential event — the Iranian Revolution took place. Prior to this notable year, Iran was ruled by a Shah, which is basically a monarch, under which economic and educational opportunities widely improved. The Shah and Iran’s government were generally supported by world powers such as the USSR, the United Kingdom, and also the United States, all of whom were attempting to gain access to Iran’s copious amounts of oil. However, the Iranian Revolution completely revamped Iran’s economic, social and political landscapes, when the Shah was overthrown and replaced with a Supreme Leader, the first of which was Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who was both a political and religious figure, while wielding absolute power over the country.
Diplomatically, Iran became secluded from the majority of the world. The western world began to see Iran as ‘evil’ largely in part because of some of the intricacies of the revolution. Also, the aforementioned Ayatollah Khomeini came off as anti-American to many, with his ideologies and policies towards diplomacy. Furthermore, the Iranian Revolution turned an already large, wealthy and powerful country into something that the rest of the world had never seen before, the formally known as Iran, became the Islamic Republic of Iran. In general, the Iranian Revolution impacted Iran’s foreign relations by isolating them from the western world through the usage of ‘Iran-centric’ ideologies the were extremely prevalent during the Iranian Revolution.
One of the most prominent reasons why the Iranian Revolution damaged relations with the western world, and especially the United States, is because Iran was portrayed in the west as malevolent and nefarious. One should not be aghast to discover these feeling towards Iran, for during the revolution the burning of American flags occurred with some regularity. In fact, this image is so ingrained into the minds of both Americans and Iranians, that students in Tehran, Iran’s capital, commemorate the anniversary of the event known as the ‘Iran Hostage Crisis’ by burning American flags in the city. The aforementioned crisis was the causative incident for a relationship which now features two powerful countries pitted against one another. On November 4th, 1979 shortly after the deposition of the Shah was concluding, a mob of approximately 3,000 people stormed the American embassy, upset with how the United States had allowed the Shah to receive medical treatment in New York. This resulted in the kidnapping of 66 Americans, which in turn led to a political standoff between Western diplomats and politicians, including US President Jimmy Carter, and Iranian revolutionaries.
Iran was seeking an extradition of the Shah back to home soil, as well as the cessation of American interference in Iranian activity. America was attempting to bring the hostages back over the Atlantic, while they allowed Iran to persecute the Shah for any potential human rights abuses committed by his regime, they insisted that any legal proceedings take place in the US. With no foreseeable resolution in the near future, the US began to take political and economic action, first by refusing to purchase Iran’s oil, which would lead to billions of dollars lost for the Iranian economy. The ensuing trade embargo on Iran perpetrated by the US and their closest allies, was initially ineffective, however with the Iran-Iraq War and other expenditures severely reducing the Iranian economy, negotiations increased and the hostages were eventually released over a year and a half after their initial capture. It is because of events like the burning of the American flag, and undoubtedly the Iran Hostage Crisis that set the standard for the relationship between Iran and the US, as well as the seclusion of Iran for decades to come.
As a result of the Iran Hostage Crisis and other events of similar nature, the mantra that Iran is a deplorable, anti-American nation, is still around in present day society. Iranians clearly feel like the unfriendly rivalry is still alive and well as they continue to burn American flags. Similarly, Americans feel of comparable nature, with the hostility towards each other still active. One would have to look no further then former US President, George Walker Bush, to find an example of a more modern perspective on Iran-US relations. In a 2002 State of the Union address, President Bush stated that Iran, Iraq and North Korea, were components of an ‘axis of evil’. The phrase, which was originally written by then Bush speechwriter, now senior editor of The Atlantic, David Frum, pointed Iran as one of the nations that is both sponsoring and harbouring terrorist organizations, as well as seeking weapons of mass destruction. This term has been popularized and is one of the most memorable moments from Bush’s term in office.
The use of the term ‘axis of evil’ has been both praised and criticized, but for the Bush administration the message of how Iran, Iraq and North Korea are significantly contributing to the terrorism that Bush had just declared war on. Even more recently, President Donald Trump had Iran on his list of priorities while he was campaigning for an election he won. Trump consistently criticized what has been dubbed the ‘Iran deal’, which the Obama administration created. This legislation allows economic and international oil sanctions to be lifted on Iran, while Iran must reduce the usage or eliminate altogether the majority of the plants used to access uranium and plutonium, the main elements in an atomic bomb.
Trump has been vocal about the deal ever since the agreement was reached, with tweets remarking how Iran was “on its last legs” and “ready to collapse”, but then “the U.S. came along and gave (Iran) a life-line in the form of the Iran deal”, all of these quotes can be found in a singular tweet from Trump. The President clearly shows through the use of this tweet and other examples his position on Iran, as he in no way wants to agree to any legislation that may benefit Iran. Despite the Trump administration’s firm stance on the Iran deal, it has recently been reported that Trump will indeed lift the sanctions off Iran, because Iran has been complying to the elements of the agreement. Through different politicians, like Bush and Trump, one can easily see how Iran is still seen as a threat to the US, which all started with the Iranian Revolution and the following Iran Hostage Crisis. Iran has been isolated from the western world ever since its revolution in 1979 and based off of the response by Americans to any ‘Iran-centric’ initiatives that U.S.-based isolation continues.
When analyzing the intricacies of the Iranian Revolution, and the unique, ‘Iran-centric’ ideologies it incurred, it is clear that the main contributor of the causes and effects of this historical event is Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Born in Iran in 1902, it was Khomeini who theorized the principle of a state founded on Islamic values. An Islamic scholar in his youth, Khomeini vehemently disagreed with both his religious mentors, as well as the Shah, who believed that there should be a distinct separation between religion and government affairs. Khomeini saw his native Iran as a once proudly Islamic nation losing its ties with the religion that he had been studying his entire life, and he decided to take action. After participating in numerous protests, in an effort to fight for Islamic prominence, Khomeini was arrested, incarcerated and eventually exiled.
The Ayatollah also began to form his anti-American policies while in exile, pronouncing his belief that America felt that all Iranians were merely slaves to western culture and ideals.
With Khomeini remaining popular, and his followers staying loyal during his years in exile, Khomeini auspiciously returned to Iran, in 1979, with a revolution keen to begin. Besides the obvious, that Khomeini was at the forefront of the Iranian revolution and the Weltanschauung that accompanied it, Khomeini conceived one of the slogans of the Iranian revolution that is still used presently. Khomeini and his aide, Mohsen Sazegara, constructed the phrase ‘Death to America’ as a rallying cry for Iranians to use in an effort to promote their ‘Iran-centrism’ as well as the anti-Americanism that this revolution is renowned for.
Although Khomeini did not support the use of the slogan on television or radio shows, he encouraged usage during protests and assemblies. Despite the popularity of ‘Death to America’, there were other forms of the phrase, which included ‘Death to Carter’, for American President Jimmy Carter, as well as ‘Death to England’. This term embodied Khomeini’s stance on western civilization, and how he believed it to be attempting to dominate the cultures and views of nations like Iran. The Ayatollah and his conception of anti-American propaganda, are a large reason why his newly-revolutionized Iran became segregated from the western nations.
Another reason why Khomeini contributed to the remoteness of Iran from western powerhouse nations was the title he obtained in large part due to the Iranian revolution. After the finalization of the Iranian Revolution, Khomeini became the Supreme Religious Leader, a title which holds significance in historical and contemporary Iranian politics. One of the many justifications America used for its animosity towards Iran is the fact that in a way, Iran is both undemocratic and autocratic. It would be unreasonable to dub Iran as merely undemocratic, but also largely unfair to call it a democracy.
The revolution of 1979 is widely remembered for the rise to power of Ayatollah Khomeini and his premise of Islamic fundamentalism which included placing himself in a position of absolute rule. However, many would forget that the Iranian revolution had some progressive outcomes. The theory of a state rooted in Islamic teachings was put into place by the Ayatollah and called Vilayat-e Faqih. This political landscape allowed for a President, Prime Minister, and a legislature but any decision made by these civil servants can be overturned by the Supreme Religious Leader, who was always a Sharia law scholar. This was supposedly because no one in Iran was as knowledgeable about law and justice as said Supreme Leader. This position was held by Khomeini himself from the time of the revolution until his death. The concept of a Supreme Religious Leader was so foreign to the west, that many saw the Iranian Revolution as challenging the democratic process and un-American, despite the creation of positions in legislature, as Prime Minster, and President, all vital components of a democracy, or constitutional democracy. The Iranian Revolution also saw many elections taking place to designate who fulfilled these roles, another element of the democratic process. Although, in spite of all these progressive movements, America was correct, in a way, to see the Iranian Revolution, and Khomeini for that matter, as the perpetrators of a tyranny.
The premise of a democracy is that the will of the people will be enacted in government, but after the Iranian Revolution it was written into Article Two of the newly-created Iranian constitution that “the One God (Allah)” has “exclusive sovereignty” as well as the “right to legislate”, which at its essence means that it is the insistence of god, represented by the Supreme Religious Leader, that is enacted instead of the will of Iranian citizens. The fact that immediately after the Iranian Revolution it was Khomeini who obtained this incredibly powerful position was unsettling to America and other western countries because of Khomeini’s historical pro-Iran, anti-American policies. Another reason why Iran’s ‘Iran-centric’ ideals isolated the country from the western world is the power Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini received because of the Iranian Revolution.
Furthermore, the 1979 Iranian Revolution caused Iran to become somewhat of an unknown to the US and its allies, making them hesitant to initiate formal or diplomatic relations with the nation. After said revolution Iran became the third Islamic Republic in the world, after Pakistan and Mauritania, however neither of the aforementioned nations came to this resolution by as violent and radical means as Iran. Countries in the western hemisphere traditionally are known for their democratic rights that all citizens are provided with, in fact these nations take pride in this. This differs slightly from Iran when in 1985, shortly after the revolution, the Gozinesh Law was passed, which essentially prohibited many religious and ethnic minorities from participating in day-to-day life. Since Iran had become the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranians who weren’t followers of Islam were not given access to some of the necessities of life such as employment and education.
Some specific sects of religion were specifically targeted, for instance Evangelicals are often persecuted and wrongly convicted for attempting to switch someone from Islam to their religion. Another piece of legislation that was put into place that contradicts western ideals came from the Ayatollah Khomeini and his misogynistic policies, which forced women to wear a hijab, burka, or niqab when leaving their house, in order to conceal their face. Similarly, in accordance to muslim tradition, all men were strongly encouraged to grow beards. Finally, the one aspect of Iran that differed significantly from the US is the connection of church and state. It is established in the First Amendment of the US constitution that a distinct separation between church and state should remain at all times. This is absolutely polar opposite from the revolutionized Iran, whose laws were literally based off of the will of Allah and religious components. These are all elements of how Iran became segregated from the western world due to their policies that completely countered those of western countries like the US.
Additionally, the vigour and extremism that was so prevalent during the Iranian Revolution also allowed them to become somewhat of a political, diplomatic and international ‘wild card’. The UK, America, Canada and other large western nations were allies of the Shah, and had been throughout the entirety of the Pahlavi dynasty. There was seamless trade between these nations, largely consisting of the aforementioned countries gaining access to Iran’s immense oil supply. Also, Iran was undergoing many changes that saw the country become stronger, wealthier and more educated. However, as a consequence of Iran becoming more educated, universities were graduating more and more people, but without enough jobs to satisfy them.
This was especially applicable in Tehran, Iran’s capital, where there was a minuscule number of jobs compared to the massive number of graduates. While Khomeini and his teachings were contributors to the revolution, it was largely people having a low quality of life with no jobs, and therefore no food, shelter and other luxuries that was also a factor. Despite this, the Shah remained loyal to the movement he started, and therefore remained loyal to the nations he was trading with. This is why the US and other nations were so disapproving when Khomeini was instated. As Khomeini had lived under the Shah seeing American culture begin to dominate his beloved Iran, and was fed up with American influence in Iran. At its essence, the Shah provided both a supply of oil for the US, along with a puppet ally in the Middle East. Khomeini put an end to this.
This is the most important reason why the US and Iran became so separated, as Khomeini was at the helm of a nation that no longer wanted anything to due with American culture or policies, and this frightened the US. In general, the main reason Iran became secluded from the US, was how Iran took a puppet ally of America, and replaced them with the radical, anti-America, ‘Iran-centric’ Khomeini.
The newly-revolutionized Islamic Republic of Iran became detached from the western hemisphere through its pro-Iran ideologies and anti-American perspective. First of all, Iran was perceived as ‘evil’ because of the burning of American flags and Iran Hostage Crisis. Next, the leader of this revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, was an anti-American, religious extremist which irked Americans due to his ‘Death to America’ slogan, as well as the power he obtained through the revolution.
Finally, Iran became uncharted territory for the US and its allies, through the prominence of religion in Iran’s government along with their replacement of the pro-American Pahlavi dynasty. The importance of the Iranian Revolution is unquestionable, however, its greatest impact was on their diplomatic relations with the US and its allies, which was all caused by the ‘Iran-centric’ ideologies that rose to province through the Iranian revolution.
