To understand the complicated relationship between the United States and Iran, one must be aware of the history of U.S. intervention in and conflict with Iran.
The United States has played an active role in Iran for decades, often in ways resented by Iranians. It organized the 1953 coup against the popular and democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. After the coup, the autocratic rule of the Shah was reinstated and supported by the United States. Later, the United States supported Iraq’s invasion of Iran. As a result of this tragic history, the United States is perceived in Iran as a superpower that regularly seeks to interfere with its sovereignty, while many Americans see Iran as a rogue state.
The formative image for many Americans of Iran were photos of 52 blindfolded American diplomats taken hostage by militant Iranian students in 1979. In more recent years, it was revealed that Iran has maintained a highly secret nuclear program. It has also supported Hizbollah and Hamas. President Mahmoud Amadinejad has done little to ease fears about the intentions of the Iranian government and he has made egregious remarks regarding the Holocaust and Israel. Under Ahmadinejad’s administration, the people of Iran have also suffered a crackdown on their human rights.
This section contains resources to better understand the history of U.S.-Iran relations and recommendations for making progress on a new American policy toward Iran.
