The Iranian Revolution

In order to understand the current hostility between Iran and the West, it is necessary to understand the Iranian Revolution and its causes.

At the end of World War II, Iran was ruled by Reza Shah Pahlavi, second in the Pahlavi dynasty established by his father. Though he contributed to the economic development of Iran through its oil industry, the Shah was not a popular leader. He suppressed political dissent, alienated the Islamic establishment and was seen as letting the West exploit Iran's rich oil resources.

Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh was democratically elected prime minister in 1951, and swiftly nationalized the oil industry, which had previously been under British control. This delighted many Iranians but angered Great Britain, which persuaded the American CIA to help overthrow Mossadegh in a coup in 1953. The Shah's complicity in this coup further diminished his standing with the Iranian people.

By 1978, there were large-scale protests occurring in all of Iran's major cities. Many political groups were opposed to the Shah, including nationalists and communists, but one of the most prominent groups was the clerical Islamist faction led by the Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini, in exile outside Iran, had been an outspoken opponent of the Shah's "White Revolution," which sought to emulate the West and grant additional rights to women.

In 1979, the Shah fled the country. His government had collapsed, and the revolutionaries took over. Khomeini became Supreme Leader of Iran, soon establishing the Revolutionary Council of religious leaders to govern, the Revolutionary Guards to defend the country and the Revolutionary Tribunals to try, imprison and execute any remaining political opponents. The system of government he set up remains in place today.

The U.S., which supported the Shah, largely sat on the sidelines during the revolution. However, a group of Iranian students, angry at the recent decision to let the Shah into the U.S. for medical treatment, seized the U.S. embassy in November 1979 and took its staff hostage. The resulting standoff lasted for more than a year, and became known as the infamous Iran hostage crisis.

U.S. President Jimmy Carter was unable to resolve the crisis through either negotiation or covert military action, which may have weakened him against challenger Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election. The remaining hostages were finally freed on January 20, 1981, the day of Reagan's inaugural.

Most Americans trace their country's poor relations with Iran to that crisis, while Iranians trace their poor relations with the U.S. to the CIA's overthrow of Mossadegh. Whatever the cause, it is clear that diplomacy between both countries leaves much to be improved on.