(Japanese Version)
(Arabic Version)
Chapter 4: War and Peace in The Middle East
4-6(34) Islamic revolution in Iran
Until the end of the 1970s Iran was the most stable
country in the Middle East. In 1925 Rezah Shah, a general of Cossack Brigade, established
Pahlavi dynasty by a coup d'etat. He changed the country name from Persia to
Iran. During the World War II, he approached the Nazis of Germany. Iran,
therefore, was surrendered by the Allied Forces. Rezah Shah was forced to
abdicate in favor of his son, Muhammad Rezah Pahlavi. Then the Communist Party
gained power. In 1951 Muhammad Mosaddegh became Prime Minister and nationalized
the oil industry.
The United States thought that communism and nationalization of oil industry in Iran were critical for US Middle East policy. The US overthrew the Mosaddegh government by the secret operation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Muhammad Rezah Pahlavi gained full authority again. Since then the honeymoon between the United States and Iran had started. The United States generously gave the state-of-the-art weapons to Iran. In return Iran poured the wealth of oil to the United States. The US entrusted Iran to stabilize the Persian Gulf region and to support indirectly the unstable Israel. Iran was called "the Guardian of Persian Gulf". Muhammad made reign of terror with the cooperation of the CIA of the United States and Mossad of Israeli intelligence agency. The network of the secret police, so-called SAVAK, covered all over the country. Agricultural land reform, privatization of state enterprises and right of women's vote were introduced in order to curry the United States' favor. It was called White Revolution.