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A Short Overview of U.S.-Iran Relations

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A Short Overview of U.S.-Iran Relations The United States-Iran Crisis Name: _____________________________________________ Teaching with the News Online Resource 1 A Short Overview of U.S.-Iran Relations Instructions: Read the following text about the origins of hostilities between the United States and Iran. Un- derline at least three new facts you learn. Write a question mark near a sentence that raises a question for you. Be ready to share with a classmate. he U.S. relationship with Iran has been filled Iranian government also provides support to the Twith hostility and mistrust for decades. For militant group Hezbollah, which the United States many Iranians, mistrust dates back to the U.S.-led and the European Union consider to be a terrorist coup of 1953 that forced Iran’s elected prime min- organization. ister from office. Many in the United States mark On the other hand, the United States and the start of a hostile relationship with Iran in 1979, Iran have consulted closely on certain security when Iranian students seized the U.S. embassy in issues. For example, U.S. and Iranian diplomats Tehran and held fifty-two Americans prisoner for cooperated on the military response to the Taliban more than a year. government in Afghanistan after the terrorist at- Iran and the United States do not currently tacks on the United States of September 11, 2001. have diplomatic relations, making it more difficult More recently, U.S. and Iranian military forces both for their governments to work together, resolve fought against the terrorist group ISIS in Syria and their differences, and even communicate. Iraq. Why does the U.S. government How did the United States respond to view Iran as an adversary? Iran’s nuclear enrichment program? Today, the United States views Iran as an For many years, the U.S. government worried adversary in conflicts in the Middle East. U.S. that Iran had a program to develop nuclear weap- policymakers see Iran as a threat to the security of ons. The Iranian government denied that it was Israel and Saudi Arabia, two important U.S. allies. developing weapons, but claimed that as a signato- Iran has backed Bashar al-Assad’s government in ry of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Syrian Civil War, as well as groups in Yemen it had the right to develop nuclear materials for and Iraq who are fighting U.S.-backed groups. The peaceful purposes. (All countries that have signed the NPT are allowed to acquire equipment, materials, and knowledge for peace- ful purposes. For example, NPT countries may develop nuclear materials for nuclear power plants or medical purposes.) The United States has been involved in various attempts to limit a potential nuclear enrichment program in Iran. (Highly enriched uranium is an essential component of a nuclear weapon.) When a secret Ira- nian nuclear enrichment Public Domain. Public plant was discovered in 2009, Iranians climbing the gate at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, November 1979. The the United States, the UN, hostage crisis was a key event in the history of U.S.-Iran relations. and the European Union THE CHOICES PROGRAM ■ BROWN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ■ WWW.CHOICES.EDU The United States-Iran Crisis Teaching with the News Online Resource 2 placed economic sanctions (penalties) on Iran in to grow scarce. After waiting a year, Iran restarted an attempt to pressure its leaders to cooperate. The its nuclear enrichment program in 2019. sanctions severely damaged Iran’s economy and caused hardships for Iranians. In 2010, the Stuxnet What are some Iranian computer virus attacked Iranian nuclear enrich- perspectives on U.S. policy? ment facilities. Many experts believe that Israel and Iranian perceptions of the United States and the United States developed the virus. U.S. policy are complex and vary across the popula- In 2015, after negotiations with the United tion. The Iranian government’s primary goal is to States and other members of the international com- protect itself from perceived security threats. The munity, Iran agreed to reduce its nuclear program Iranian government sees the United States and its and to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities. In allies as a major threat to Iran’s security. return, the international community agreed to end Iranians elected their current president, Has- economic sanctions on Iran. san Rouhani, in 2013 because he promised to During his presidential campaign and after reduce tensions with the United States and Eu- his election in 2016, U.S. President Donald Trump rope and to bring Iran back into the international (2017- ) stated that he thought the nuclear deal economic system. After he reached the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan with the United States and the international com- of Action, was bad for the United States. In May munity in 2015, Iranians overwhelmingly reelected 2018, Trump announced that the United States him in 2017 in support of his policies. Rouhani’s would withdraw from the agreement. Trump re- conservative opponents warned that the United imposed economic sanctions on Iran and tensions States could not be trusted to stick to the nuclear between the two countries increased. The United deal. When President Trump withdrew the United States’ “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran States from the agreement and reimposed sanctions brought much of Iran’s economy to a halt. Unable on Iran, it made those conservative Iranians look to sell its oil overseas, inflation and unemployment right all along. skyrocketed in Iran and food and medicine began Tasnim News Agency (CC BY 4.0) BY News Agency (CC Tasnim Supporters of President Rouhani celebrate his 2017 election victory in Tehran. THE CHOICES PROGRAM ■ BROWN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ■ WWW.CHOICES.EDU The United States-Iran Crisis Teaching with the News Online Resource 3 For years after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Iran’s government-controlled media produced anti- Key Terms U.S. propaganda. Today, some Iranians—including Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps some conservative religious leaders and members (IRGC)—The IRGC, whose name in Persian of older generations—continue to condemn the means “army of the guardians of the Islamic United States. Many express skepticism about the revolution,” is tasked with the protection and motivations behind U.S. foreign policy, claiming survival of the Iranian government. that the stated goals of U.S. policy in Iran do not Quds Force—an elite special operations always align with U.S. actions. group of the IRGC. While disapproval and skepticism toward the United States still exist, many younger Iranians have more favorable views of the United States. How did the U.S. killing of Iranian General These Iranians have concerns about U.S. policy Solomeini create a crisis in U.S.-Iran relations? toward Iran, but they also hope for improved rela- On January 3, 2020, a U.S. drone strike assas- tions with the United States. Many believe that sinated General Qasem Solomeini, the head of the stronger relations would help their country join the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard international economy and prosper. Corps, while he was traveling in Iraq. While the United States government had said that he was a terrorist, he was seen as a hero by some in Iran. Stop saying, ‘Death to America,’ make President Trump claimed the drone strike was amends with the world and foreign “ necessary, arguing that Solomeini represented an investors and jobs will come.” imminent threat to U.S. soldiers in the region. The —Hamidreza Faraji, May 15, 2017 drone strike caused shock and anger in Iran. Ten- sions between the two countries, already extremely high, threatened to boil over and lead to war. When Mehr News Agency (CC BY 4.0) BY News Agency (CC Mehr The funeral of General Qasem Solomeini, Tehran, January 6, 2020. THE CHOICES PROGRAM ■ BROWN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ■ WWW.CHOICES.EDU The United States-Iran Crisis Teaching with the News Online Resource 4 ROMANIA RUSSIA against two U.S. air bases in KAZAKHSTAN Black Sea Iraq, but there were no U.S. BULGARIA GEORGIA Caspian Sea Istanbul UZBEKISTAN or Iraqi casualties. After the Ankara ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN GREECE missile attack, Iran’s foreign TURKEY TURKMENISTAN minister announced that Iran T igris CYPRUS had completed its response SYRIA Tehran LEBANON IRAQ Mediterranean Sea Beirut Damascus Euphrates ISRAEL AFGHANISTAN and did not want war. Presi- West Bank Baghdad Tel Aviv Amman IRAN Alexandria Jerusalem dent Trump responded the Gaza Strip JORDAN Cairo next day that the United States KUWAIT Kuwait City Persian PAKISTAN wanted peace. Nile Gulf LIBYA BAHRAIN Manama EGYPT QATAR Abu Medina Doha Dhabi Riyadh Gulf of Oman Muscat U.A.E. Iran took & concluded SAUDI ARABIA OMAN Mecca proportionate SUDAN “ Red Sea Nile measures in self-defense... targeting base from which Ara bian Blue Nile ERITREA YEMEN S e a cowardly armed attack Sanaa against our citizens & White Nile Gulf of Aden Countries with U.S. DJIBOUTI military forces senior officials were launched. We do not seek SOMALIA SOUTH SUDAN ETHIOPIA 500 miles 500 km escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against Today, the United States has military forces throughout much of the Middle East any aggression.” and other surrounding regions. For example, the United States has military —Iranian Foreign Minister forces in the following countries pictured on the map: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Javid Zarif, in a tweet, Djibouti, Greece, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, January 7, 2020 Somalia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised The fact that we have this great military a military response against the United States for and equipment, however, does not mean Solomeini’s killing, U.S.
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