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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Iran
Index
Iran's foreign policy was dramatically reversed following the
Revolution. After World War II, Iranian leaders considered their
country to be part of the Western alliance system. They actively
cultivated relations with the United States, both as a means of
protecting their country from perceived political pressures
emanating from the Soviet Union and as a matter of genuine
ideological conviction.
The Revolution, which was laden with anti-American rhetoric,
brought new leaders to power who disapproved of Iran's relationship
with the United States. The new leaders were convinced that
Washington had tried to maintain the shah in power, despite the
mass demonstrations calling for his downfall, and were deeply
suspicious of American intentions toward their Revolution. These
leaders believed that the United States was plotting to restore the
shah to power and were unresponsive to persistent efforts by
American diplomats to persuade them that the United States had no
ill intentions toward the new regime.
The more radical revolutionaries were determined to eradicate
all traces of American influence from Iran. Fearing that the
provisional government was seeking an accommodation with the United
States, some of these radicals precipitated the seizure of the
American embassy in November 1979. Subsequently, they exploited the
protracted hostage crisis between Tehran and Washington to achieve
their objective of terminating normal relations with the United
States. The severing of ties with the United States was regarded
not only as essential for expunging American influence from the
country but also was considered a prerequisite for implementing
their revolutionary foreign policy ideology. This new ideology
consisted of two concepts: export of revolution and independence
from both the East and the West. By the time the hostage crisis was
finally resolved in January 1981, these ideas were embraced by the
entire political elite.
Data as of December 1987
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