Iran #1: Independence to Islamic Revolution

I read this excellent history-by-the-hour book on Iran, from its independence onwards. It is full of flip-flops; so brace yourself for a rollercoaster ride.

 

Unlike India, the British never let go off Iran at independence – yes, because of oil. The Anglo-Iranian company was minting money for Britain, and left little for the Iranians. In 1952, its Prime Minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, transferred its ownership to the Iranian government. A furious Britain enforced a naval embargo on Iran. They also tried to get US support, but President Truman refused. His successor, Eisenhower flipped American policy and agreed to support Britain. Via the usual method – fomenting a regime change.

 

Meanwhile, the British blockade hurt Iran, and the masses became increasingly unhappy with Mosaddegh. The Shah of Iran, working with the CIA, dismissed Mosaddegh. But the people hated the Shah even more, and they came out in support of Mosaddegh. The Shah fled to Italy. The CIA began to play dirty. They recruited gangsters, and factions of the Iranian army to move in against Mosaddegh. It worked - Mosaddegh soon fell.

 

The Shah returned, and initiated a White Revolution – an effort to westernize Iran (equal rights for women, healthcare programs, land and labor reform etc). But land and labor reform always hurts the old beneficiaries; and it takes time for the dust to settle, time during which even the intended beneficiaries face chaos.

“All of this anger and animosity coalesced behind a little-known mullah named Ruhollah Khomeini – later and better known as Ayatollah Khomeini.”

 

The Shah arrested and exiled Khomeini to Iraq, and then to France. Khomeini flipped the situation to his advantage – he had access to better communication systems from France, and he gave interviews in Western media outlets that were soon “depicting Khomeini as a kind of Eastern mystic seeking enlightenment”.

 

Eventually, it was clear that the Shah could not hold onto power. Khomeini told the US he’d allow both oil and good will to flow freely, and in return the US told him that they wouldn’t intervene if the Islamists ousted the Shah. Which they did in 1979. Pragmatism aside, there was another attraction of the Islamists:

“The Islamists… represented a rock-solid bulwark against the godless communists.”

 

The US had betrayed their ally, the Shah. In turn, they’d get stabbed in the back by the Ayatollah.

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