Objectives:

• Understand the role of the US throughout the history of the Middle East (Iran)

• Understand the issues of the modern Middle East (Iran)

Iran

Geographic distribution of the modern Iranian languages: Persian (green), Pashto (purple) and Kurdish (turquoise), as well as smaller communities of other Iranian languages

Iran's ethnoreligious distribution

IranA. 1907- Constitution!

B. 1921- Military coupA. Commander Reza Kahn takes powerB. 4 yrs later he is voted the ruler by parliamentC. Year later crowned “Shah” and takes the name Shah Reza Pahlavi

A. Shah – Leader or ruler

C. 1940s: Britain and USSR1) invaded to protect supply routes. They were competing for access

to the Persian Gulf and for influence in Asia.

B. 1941- Shah is deposed for being pro-Axis during WWII, his son named ruler

C. 1951: Mohammad Mossadeq, proponent of nationalizing oil, appointed Prime Minister- power struggle with the Shah

C. 1953:Shah flees, Mossadeq takes power. Days later, Mossadeq overthrown by US and UK intelligence; installation of pro-Western Shah. What were his goals?

1. To end foreign control 2. Create a modern industrial state.

D. 1953-79: Iran closely allied with the U.S.

E. Iran was highly secularized and Westernized1. Improved roads, factories, modernized the army, and reduced the

power of the clergy. Westernization was not popular. 2. He was accused of being corrupt and left Iran.

Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi

Iranian Revolution 1979A. Revolution to overthrow the

regime of the Shah

B. Also a cultural revolution for “revolutionary Islam”

C. 1979: Ayatollah Khomeini established Republic of Iran1. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

had a different vision for Iran. 2. He wanted to create a state

based upon the Koran.

1979-81: 55 Americans were held hostage

D. Khomeini started a revolution and established a theocracy in Iran.

Theocracy – Nation ruled by religious

leaders

E. The Koran became the basis of all law and considered to be the highest authority.

1. Shari ’a – The sacred law of Islam in which governs all aspects of

life. It sets the rules for political, social, moral and economic behaviors

2. It replaced secular courts with religious courts, enforced Muslim traditions and placed a strict ban on western movies and music.

3. The revolution will lead to the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

The symbol of the revolution was four crescent moons and a sword. It was added to the Iranian flag after the revolution.

Argo opening sequence: (begin at ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxw78UzuIdY

F. An angry mob of young Islamic revolutionaries overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 53 Americans hostage. The revolutionaries saw themselves are leaders of a spiritual movement that would sweep across the Muslim world.

1) The students vowed not to release the Americans until the U.S. returned the Shah for trial and the return billions of dollars.

2) What was the response of the US government?

Economic sanctions

G. After 444 days, Khomeini returned of the hostages and the US stopped economic sanctions. Iran then withdrew from the world.After Khomeini death, Iranian leaders are Slowly welcoming the west.

H. Iran now1. During the 2009 Presidential election the it

was announced that incumbent president Ahmadinejad had won 62.63% of the vote, while his rival had come in second place with 33.75%. Allegations of large irregularities and fraud provoked the 2009 protests both within Iran and in major cites outside the country.

2. The Iranian Green Movement refers to a political movement that arose after these protests

3. On September 11, 2009, the Obama administration announced that the U.S. would accept Iran's proposal to hold face-to-face talks. These would be the first substantive conversations between the two countries since 1979. In that same week, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reaffirmed his country's commitment to its nuclear program, whose purpose, he said, is generating electricity.

4. Hassan Rouhani was elected as President on 15 June 2013. This has improved Iran's relations with other countries.

President Ahmadinejad

President Rouhani

5. Iran still has problems. Low oil prices and a huge population have slowed modernization.

6. Iran remains committed to Islamic principles and the revolution.

7. 2002 labeled by Pres. Bush part of “axis of evil”

8. Nuclear ambitions… Energy?

9. Today, Iran has opened up to some western influences.

Postcard Reflection

• Write a postcard about “your trip to Iran”

• You must describe the events shown on the card

• Include at least 3 facts discussed in class today