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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Iran
Index
Prior to the Revolution, Iran and Israel had been de facto
allies in the Middle East. One of the very first acts of the
provisional government was to denounce that relationship and to
turn over the former Israeli mission in Tehran to the Palestine
Liberation Organization. All trade with Israel was banned,
especially the sale of oil. Iranian leaders contended that Israel's
existence was illegitimate, because it came about as a result of
the destruction of Palestine. Therefore, Iran advocated eradicating
Israel and reconstituting Palestine. Those Arabs who advocated
compromise with Israel, such as Anwar as Sadat of Egypt, were
excoriated as traitors. In general, Iran's relations with the Arab
states have been based on perceptions of each state's relations
with Israel. Thus, Iran has been hostile toward those states it
regarded as willing to accept Israel's existence--Egypt, Jordan,
Morocco, and Tunisia--and friendly toward those it regarded as
sharing Iranian views--Algeria, Libya, and Syria. Despite its
uncompromising position, however, Iran is known to have purchased
weapons clandestinely from Israel as recently as 1985.
Syria has been revolutionary Iran's principal ally in the
Middle East. This relationship involved both political and economic
ties. The de facto alliance between the two countries emerged at
the beginning of 1982. At that time, Iran supported the government
of Hafiz al Assad against the Muslim Brotherhood, which had risen
in rebellion against the secularizing policies of the ruling Baath
Party. Iran's backing of the Syrian government was significant
because the Muslim Brotherhood was the first Islamic political
group to claim the Iranian Revolution as the primary inspiration
for its rebellion. Soon after the Muslim Brotherhood had been
crushed, Damascus shut down the pipeline through which Iraqi oil
crossed Syria to reach Mediterranean ports. This action against
another Arab state, which also was ruled by a Baath party, was an
important gesture in support of the Iranian war effort. The action
was also a hostile blow against Iraq because Iraqi Persian Gulf
ports had been blockaded since the beginning of the war, and the
only other exit route for its oil exports was through a smaller
pipeline traversing Turkey. Iran had agreed to provide Syria 20,000
barrels of oil per day free of charge as compensation for the
transit fees Syria would lose by closing the pipeline. Iran also
agreed to sell Syria additional oil it required, at a heavily
discounted price. In 1987 this agreement was again renewed. Syria
also provided Iran arms from its own stock of Soviet- and East
European-made weapons.
Data as of December 1987
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