Recently the United States has condemned Iran for its nuclear program. While there is no conclusive evidence as to how far evolved the program is the US, EU and Israel are rattling the sabers of war calling on Iran to halt its nuclear program or suffer the consequences. As Ron Paul has stated many times the US has already taken the first action of war against Iran by exacting sanctions. Sanctions have only had very minimal overall success over the past century (South Africa during apartheid is the best example I can think of) in assuaging countries to act a certain way or adopt certain policies. In its haste to start yet another war, one of which could have the same consequences as another Iraq or Afghanistan and hurl the region into even more turmoil and uncertainty the US should ask itself how Iran got to this stage.
In the beginning of the 19th century as the endemic of colonization was spreading through Europe Britain and Russia began to lay claims on the once dominant Persian nation of Iran and asserting their influence. At the end of the 19th century and beginning in the early 1900’s the Qajar Dynasty which was weak and subject to corruption was beginning to dwindle. In 1906 following Iran’s Constitutional Revolution a new government (Majlis) was implemented and a year later spheres of influence were created by the Russians and Britain. The Russians took most of the North while Britain took most of the South and East of Iran leaving the rest a neutral zone. In 1908 oil was discovered in Iran.
World War I changed the makeup and importance of Iran significantly. The British Navy signed a contract with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) for the sale of oil for its fleet during the war. After the war the Russians were immersed in the Bolshevik Revolution leaving Iran to be dominated by the British.
After World War I and the Fourteen Points coming to the four front of International Policy, Iranian National Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh began to lead a movement for Iranian autonomy and heavily opposed the idea of Iran becoming a British protectorate. In 1918, the same year as the end of the war there was a coup staged and led by the British, and Persian Cossacks Brigade Officer Reza Khan. Reza Khan, with British support eventually consolidated power from the Majlis, clergy, and tribes of Iran and took leadership of the government and the title of Shah. The Shah increased the Iranian military 30-50% in order to maintain power and worked closely with the AIOC, which would later become British Petroleum (BP), and by 1933 Iran’s oil reserves were the fifth largest in the world.
With the outbreak of World War II Iran’s internal political problems were put on hold. Meanwhile the Soviets had regained some of their influence there. At the end of the war Iran’s economic hardships encouraged a new party, the Tudeh’s (meaning the masses) who sought a communistic approach to government.
At this same time Dr. Mossadegh began to emerge as a political figure again and introduced the Jebhe-ye Melli (National Front) political party, which was a coalition of secular and religious parties for and independent Iran calling for the removal of the British and the nationalization of oil revenues. At the beginning of the 1950’s Dr. Mossadegh led the concession negotiations between the Iranian government and the AIOC. The negotiations became stalled when the AIOC was not willing to grant a 50-50 profit sharing deal with Iran. Finally in March of 1951 the AIOC agreed to the 50-50 deal but it was too late, the Iranian government, under the direction of Mossadegh nationalized all oil in Iran. That same April Dr. Mossadegh was named Prime Minister of Iran by the people.
Infuriated by the act the British took their case to United Nations court at The Hague, where Dr. Mossadegh, who had studied law, took on the case for Iran and defeated the British. In reaction Europe called for an oil embargo on Iran and only Italy and Japan resisted the embargo buying oil from Iran. The sanctions badly hurt the Iranian economy. Dr. Mossadegh was named 'Time' magazine's person of the year for 1951, "not that he was the best or the worst or the strongest, but because his rapid advance from obscurity was attended by the greatest stir."
In the beginning of 1952 The Majlis granted Mossadegh powers to enact sweeping reforms in the country. During this time he also appointed himself to be the Minister of Defence over the disapproval of the Shah. Also during this time the British were secretly planning a coup to oust Mossadegh and regain control of oil in Iran. The British approached the US to aid in the coup to which the US in the beginning was reluctant. As plans for a coup were taking place the Shah plotted an assassination attempt on Mossadegh, but Mossadegh was tipped off and the plan failed. Mossadegh soon recognized that a coup was being staged and immediately cut off ties with Britain. The British used that and the excuse that the Tudeh’s, the communist faction in Iran were supporting Mossadegh. During the cold war this was a compelling argument to the US and they joined the British in the planning stages.
In In April of 1953 one million US dollars were released by the CIA to “bring about the fall of Mossadegh.” The CIA was actively engaged in planning the overthrow of a democratically elected Mossadegh through secret plans which revealed: "The aim was to bring to power a government which would reach an equitable oil settlement, enabling Iran to become economically sound and financially solvent, and which would vigorously prosecute the dangerously strong Communist Party.”
Major-general Fazlollah Zahedi was selected by the coup plotters as Mossadegh's replacement. He would lead the coup, along with the Shah. In July of 1953 the coup was signed off by both President Eisenhower of the US and Prime Minister Churchill of Britain. In August, CIA operatives disguised as Tudeh members took to the streets and protested against Mossadegh. With the majority of the army appearing to be loyal to Mossadegh it seemed that the coup was going to fail. The Shah was forced to flee to Rome and many of the dissidents were arrested.
After Mossadegh thought that the turmoil had ceased he ordered the army back to their stations. However the supporters of the Shah staged a massive counter attack and eventually stormed Mossadegh’s house and burned it down. Mossadegh narrowly escaped with his life, but was arrested and placed under house arrest. The Shah then appointed Zahedi to the post of Prime Minister, which under the Iranian Constitution would be deemed unconstitutional, as the Majlis was the only body that could appoint the Prime Minister.
During his trial, Mossadegh defended himself. He was sentenced to three years of solitary confinement for conspiracy to overthrow the monarchy and then placed under house arrest for the remainder of his life. The Shah after receiving aid from the US and Britain was then greatly indebted to them. Iran signed an oil consortium with eight foreign oil companies, one of which was the AIOC.
Under the Shah poor economic policies, worse government policies and oppression to citizens occurred. Many of the Iranian citizens were becoming discontent with the Shah and his dictatorial rule in Iran. At one point the US granted Iran unlimited access to military hardware in return for two listening posts in Iran to monitor Soviet ballistic missile launches and other military activity. Discontent continued to grow and in 1979 the Shah was overthrown in riots and a coup staged by Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Mostafavi Musavi Khomeini. The result was devastation for the United States.
Western intervention has unintentionally bred radicalism into the country of Iran. Hopefully with the current climate in Iran the US can remember the mistakes of the past and not repeat them in the current context. The repercussions of an unnecessary war would not only hurt the people of the US but the people of the world.
