Barry Rubin

Lessons from Iran

What does the U.S. experience in Iran in 1953 teach us about the policy to change Iraqs regime today? Among other lessons, the real danger may not lie in the U.S. role in initially changing the old regime, but rather in a longstanding U.S. presence.

American relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1979–1981

The triumph of the Khomeini forces and of the Iranian revolution in February 1979, sweeping away the old imperial regime and the transitional Bakhtiyar government, marked the beginning of a highly critical period in American-Iranian relations. The conflict culminated in the seizure of the American embassy in Tehran and in the holding of U.S. diplomats as hostages for well over a year. The hostage issue was the most controversial question for U.S. foreign policy in 1980 and marked a historic low point in relations between the two countries.1

What is right is in U.S. interests

From an Israeli perspective, the United States should properly pursue its own interests. The basic problem is not some U.S. mistaken policy; it has done quite well. Regional extremism and ambitions mean no perfect options or easy solutions exist.

Iran, the Ayatollah, and U.S. Options

Abstract The primary U.S. interest in Iran is the same it has been since 1946—to support the countrys independence, unity, and sovereignty so that it continues to bar Soviet expansion. Internal chaos and continued anti-American sentiments within the Islamic republic, as well as a changed Middle East scene, however, are making these goals extremely difficult to achieve.