IRAN AND THE WORLD

I r an i s an i m p o r t an t c o u n t r y o f t h e P e r s i an G u l f r e g i o n , a n o n -A r ab I s l am i c
R e p u b l i c w i t h h u g e d e p o s i t o f o i l . I t i s a S h i i t e d o m i n at e d I s l am i c R e p u b l i c i n t h e
m i d s t o f S u n n i p o p u l at e d M u s l i m c o u n t r i e s l i k e I r aq an d P ak i s t an . W h i l e i t s o i l
r ic h e s m ad e it a p r o s p e r o u s c o u n tr y , th e o il d e p o s it s re n d e re d i t a p o l i t i c al l y
s e n s itiv e an d d an g e r o u s f i e l d o f s u p e r p o w e r r i v al r y an d m an o e u v r e s . I r an i s
n o w r u l e d b y a c l i c h é o f I s l am i c S h i a c l e r i c s u n d e r t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n al l y i n s t i t u t e d
S u p r e m e L e ad e r o f I r an , A y at o l l ah A l i K h o m e i n i , w h o h as t h e l as t w o r d o n t h e
s t at e m at t e r s an d ad v i s e d b y t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n al l y i n s t i t u t e d “ E x p e d i e n c y C o u n c i l ” ,
a p o w e r f u l c l e r i c al b o d y t h at ar b i t r at e s d i s p u t e s b e t w e e n t h e l e g i s l at u r e an d t h e
g o v e rn m e n t. T h e e l e c t o r al p r o c e s s m o n ito r e d b y “ th e G u ar d i an C o u n c i l ” , an
o v e r s i g h t b o d y c o n s t i t u t e d t o o v e r s e e e l e c t i o n s i n I r an , e l e c t s t h e P r e s i d e n t o f
I r an as h e ad o f t h e G o v e r n m e n t .

NUCLEAR PATH

I r an ’ s n u c l e ar am b i t i o n s ar e p o s i n g a s e r i o u s p r o b l e m t o t h e U n i t e d S t at e s
o f A m e r i c a, B r i t ai n an d o t h e r w e s t e r n c o u n t r i e s i n t h e b ac k g r o u n d o f i n c r e as i n g
d iffe r e n c e s b e tw e e n th e m c o n c e r n in g P al e s t i n e , I s r ae l , L e b an o n an d s u c h
p o l i t i c al i s s u e s o f W e s t A s i a. T h o u g h I r an i an n e e d o f e l e c t r i c p o w e r i s g e n u i n e ,
th e d iffe r e n c e b e tw e e n th e p e ac e f u l u s e o f n u c l e ar e n e r g y an d its u s e fo r
p r o d u c i n g n u c l e ar w e ap o n s i s r at h e r t h i n , an d t h e U n i t e d S t at e s o f A m e r i c a an d
o t h e r w e s t e r n c o u n t r i e s f e ar t h at n u c l e ar w e ap o n s an d t e c h n o l o g y i n t h e h an d s o f
I r an i s a s u r e p as s p o r t f o r i t s p r o l i f e r at i o n t o o t h e r I s l am i c c o u n t r i e s i n W e s t A s i a
an d s u b s e q u e n t l y t o I s l am i c m i l i t an t s . U S A n am e d I r an al o n g w i t h N o r t h K o r e a
an d S y r i a as an “ A x i s o f E v i l ” an d c al l s t h e m as r o g u e c o u n tr ie s . B u t, w o r ld
o p in io n ag ai n s t h as n o t d e te r re d I r an fro m its n u c l e ar p at h lik e N o rth K o re a
th o u g h m ad e I r an c i r c u m s p e c t an d s o m e w h at r e t ar d e d its p ro g re s s in th is
d ir e c tio n . R u s s ia s u p p o r ts an d c o l l ab o r at e s w ith I r an in th e l at t e r ’ s n u c l e ar
am b i t i o n s .
2009 ELECTION DISPUTE

T h e I r an i an E l e c t i o n s h av e g o t a v e r y i m p o r t an t s i g n i f i c an c e f o r al l t h e
c o u n tr ie s in th e w o r ld . T h e U n ite d S t at e s o f A m e r i c a u n d e r P r e s i d e n t B ar ac k
O b am a i s p l an n i n g t o b e c o m e f r i e n d s w i t h I r an an d t h i s e l e c t i o n t h at w as h e l d i n
2 0 0 9 h o l d u t m o s t s i g n i f i c an c e w h e n i t c o m e s t o t h e f u t u r e o f t h e w o r l d . P r e s i d e n t
A h m e d e n i j ad w o n th e e l e c t i o n s ag ai n in 2 0 0 9 w ith h u g e e le v e n m illio n v o te s .
H o w e v e r , h is m ai n o p p o n e n t in th e e l e c t i o n , M o u s av i an d h is fo llo w e r s an d
s u p p o rte rs m ai n l y c o n s titu te d o f s tu d e n ts re fu s e d to ac c e p t t h e d e f e at an d
c l ai m e d t h at e l e c t i o n s w e r e r i g g e d an d t h at M o u s av i w o u l d h av e w o n t h e e l e c t i o n
i f i t w as h e l d f ai r l y . A v e r y l ar g e n u m b e r o f f o l l o w e r s an d s u p p o r t e r s o f M o u s av i
c am e o n s t r e e t s ag ai n s t t h e e l e c t i o n r e s u l t s an d t h e r e w e r e w i d e s p r e ad p r o t e s t s
an d v io le n c e in T e h r an an d o t h e r I r an i an c i t i e s f o r m an y d ay s . I r an al s o s aw
c o u n te r p r o te s ts fr o m t h e s u p p o r t e r s o f A h m e d e n i j ad an d f ac t i o n al f i g h t s e n s u e d
o n I r an i an s t r e e t s . I r an i an G o v e r n m e n t c r u s h e d t h e r e b e l l i o n w i t h f i r m h an d an d
b r o u g h t p e ac e ag ai n t o t h e s t r e e t s o f I r an . I r an i an G o v e r n m e n t ar g u e d t h at t h e
h u g e s w in g o f e le v e n m illio n v o te s its e lf d is p r o v e th e th e o ry o f r ig g in g an d
u n e q u i v o c al l y p r o v e s t h e p o p u l ar i t y an d m aj o r i t y o f A h m e d e n i j ad i n t h e e l e c t i o n .
T h e S u p re m e L e ad e r o f I r an , A y at o l l ah A l i K h o m e i n i , af t e r d u e d e l i b e r at i o n s
an n o u n c e d t h at h e w as s at i s f i e d w ith th e e le c tio n r e s u lts an d e x p re s s e d h is
s u s p i c i o n ab o u t o u t s i d e c o n s p i r ac i e s t o d e s t ab i l i z e I r an . H e c al l e d p r o t e s t o r s t o
s to p ag i t at i o n . O n l y af t e r s t r o n g -ar m m e th o d s b y th e I r an i an s e c u r ity fo rc e s ,
M o u s av i r e l u c t an t l y ag r e e d to d i s t an c e fro m th e ag i t at i o n an d p e ac e s lo w ly
r e t u r n e d t o I r an . T h e p e o p l e o f I r an ar e c au g h t i n t h e m i d d l e i n t h i s e v e n t .

I r an w e n t ag g r e s s i v e l y ag ai n s t B r i t ai n b l am i n g it fo r c o n s p ir in g an d
i n s p i r i n g t h e ag i t at i o n an d ar r e s t e d I r an i an s t af f o f t h e B r i t i s h E m b as s y i n I r an f o r
in v o lv e m e n t in in s p ir in g th e ag i t at i o n . I t w as fo r th e fir s t tim e e v e r t h at I r an
b l am e d a w e s t e r n c o u n t r y o t h e r t h an U S A fo r m is c h ie f in th e c o u n tr y th o u g h it
b l am e d P r e s i d e n t B ar ac k O b am a o f f o l l o w i n g t h e p o l i c y o f P r e s i d e n t B u s h i n t h e
i n c i d e n t . I t al s o m e an s t h at t h e P r e s i d e n t B ar ac k O b am a m ag i c i s w o r k i n g o n
I r an . I t i s a g o o d s i g n . C h i n a an d R u s s ia s u p p o r te d th e E le c tio n r e s u lts w h ile
w e s te rn c o u n tr ie s g e n e r al l y s u p p o rte d M o u s av i . M o s t o f t h e W o r ld P re s s
c o m m e n t e d o n t h e s e e l e c t i o n s w i t h d i f f e r e n t o p i n i o n s an d j u d g m e n t s . G e r m an y ’ s
n e w s p ap e r s h av e al l b e e n o n t h e s i d e o f M o u s av i . T h e U n i t e d S t at e s o f A m e r i c a
u n d e r P r e s i d e n t B ar ac k O b am a s h o w e d c o m m e n d ab l e r e s t r ai n t b y c al l i n g th e
w h o l e af f ai r as u n f o r t u n at e an d r e m ai n e d u n n at u r al l y q u i e t an d r at h e r b l an d o n
th e w h o le o n th is to p ic .

RELATIONSHIP WITH BRITAIN

T h e l e ad e r s o f I r an s ay t h at t h e p o s t -e l e c t i o n ag i t at i o n i n I r an is d u e to
e x t e r n al c o n s p i r ac i e s t h at am o u n t e d t o i n t e r f e r e n c e w i t h i t s i n t e r n al af f ai r s an d
c au s e d l o t s o f h ar m t o I r an i an i n t e r e s t s .

T h e y p r i m ar i l y b l am e d B r i t ai n . T h e y h av e n o t b l am e d t h e U n i t e d S t at e s o f
A m e r i c a an d t h i s c an b e b e c au s e o f t h e ‘ O b am a e f f e c t ’ . I r an i an l e ad e r s c al l e d
B r i t ai n as t h e m o s t e v il c o u n tr y in th e w e s te rn h e m is p h e r e o f th e w o r ld . T h is
b l am e g am e i n f u r i at e d B r i t ai n an d u n ite d th e m in c o n d e m n in g I r an fo r th e
ac c u s at i o n . T h e O p p o s i t i o n M P s o f B r i t ai n w h o u s u al l y b o o t h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r o f
B r i t ai n , G o r d o n B r o w n i n P ar l i am e n t , ap p l au d e d h i m f o r a b r e ak w h e n h e t o o k o n
I r an f o r t h o s e ac c u s at i o n s .

T h e n I r an th re w tw o B r itis h d i p l o m at s an d a B B C j o u r n al i s t o u t o f t h e
c o u n t r y an d ar r e s t e d a B r i t i s h j o u r n al i s t f o r i n v o l v e m e n t i n t h e u n r e s t . B r i t ai n i n
r e s p o n s e th r e w o u t t w o I r an i an d i p l o m at s . I r an ar r e s t e d a f e w I r an i an o f f i c i al s o f
t h e B r i t i s h e m b as s y f o r i n s t i g at i n g t h e u n r e s t an d an n o u n c e d t r y i n g t h e m i n I r an .
B r i t ai n h as b e e n t al k i n g ab o u t c l o s i n g d o w n i t s m i s s i o n i n I r an .

B r i t ai n h as a h i s t o r y o f b ad r e l at i o n s h i p w i t h I r an an d i t s m i s ad v e n t u r e s i n
t h e I r an i an e l e c t i o n i n d e p e n d e n t o f t h e U n i t e d S t at e s o f A m e r i c a f u r t h e r ad d e d t o
t h e e m b i t t e r m e n t . I r an i an s al r e ad y s e e B r i t ai n as t h e “ s m al l S at an ” .
OBAMA MAGIC

M o u s av i h as n o t s h o w n an y fo rm o f g r ac e at al l d u r i n g th e ag i t at i o n .
M as s i v e d e m o n s t r at i o n s fr o m b o th s id e s o n th e s tre e ts o f T e h r an an d o th e r
p l ac e s i n I r an r e s u l t e d i n o t h e r c o u n t r i e s t ak i n g s i d e s i n t h e e l e c t i o n , t h o u g h i t i s
p u r e ly an i n t e r n al m at t e r o f I r an an d a d is p u te b e tw e e n its p e o p le an d th e
G o v e r n m e n t . T h e M o u s av i p ar t y h as s ai d t h at t h e s e e l e c t i o n s w e r e s ab o t ag e d ,
e v e n t h o u g h , e l e c t i o n s j u s t c an n o t b e s ab o t ag e d i n s u c h a w ay t h at f i v e m i l l i o n
v o t e s c an s w i n g .

M o u s av i h as n o t t ak e n h i s d e f e at i n g o o d g r ac e . T h i s m u c h is o b v io u s .
N e i g h b o r i n g c o u n t r i e s as w e l l as R u s s i a an d C h i n a h av e ac c e p t e d t h e r e s u l t s o f
t h e I r an i an e l e c t i o n i n a f ai r s e n s e . H o w e v e r , B r i t ai n an d t h e U n i t e d S t at e s w e r e
o p e n l y v ag u e i n t h e i r r e s p o n s e s .

P r e s i d e n t O b am a h as b e e n c r i t i c i z e d q u i t e a b i t b e c au s e o f h i s v ag u e an d
r at h e r w r o n g s t an c e in s u p p o r t o f B r i t ai n in th e m at t e r . T h e U n ite d S t at e s o f
A m e r i c a h as e x p r e s s e d s y m p at h y f o r t h e p r o t e s t e r s an d w as c r i t i c i z e d fo r th is
an d fo r th e in d e c is iv e m an n e r o f h an d l i n g o f th is w h o le i s s u e . I t h as al r e ad y
c o r r o d e d t h e O b am a M ag i c i n I r an an d h e w i l l h av e t o d o s o m e t h i n g t o r e d e e m it.

T h e f am o u s C ai r o s p e e c h o f O b am a h as s o m e w h at s m o o t h e n e d I r an ’ s
h u r t f e e l i n g s t o w ar d s t h e U n ite d S t at e s . H o w O b am a w i l l h an d l e I r an an d its
n u c l e ar am b i t i o n s i s a t r i l l i o n d o l l ar q u e s t i o n an d d e c i d e t h e f u t u r e o f t h e w o r l d
an d m an k i n d .