Conflict in Iran
- 1941 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi became shah of Iran
- At this time British and Russian troops occupied parts of the country
- A british run company also controlled Iran's oil industry and kept most of the profits
- Iranian nationalists were determined to take control of the country’s oil resources, reduce the power of the shah, and establish a constitutional monarchy.
- Mohammad Mosaddeq, lead them
- 1951 the Iranian parliament named Mosaddeq the prime minister and voted to nationalise the Iranian oil industry
- Mosaddeq reduced the size of the army and forced officers loyal to the shah to leave.
- Many military officers were upset with these reforms, and some joined a coup to replace Mosaddeq that was supported by the United States and Britain
- After returning to power, the shah began an ambitious program of reforms, including land reform and a campaign to increase literacy.
- Iran’s industry, education, and health care improved. Education and employment opportunities for women also improved.
- The shah continued to rule with an iron hand, however. He used his secret police to spy on, intimidate, and torture the opposition.
Arab-Israeli Conflict
- The conflict with Iraq began in 1948 and it became a war in 1967.
- In 1973 a peace agreement was made after 6 years, but there was some tension remaining.
- In 1967 Egypt demanded the United Nation to remove their troops from Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula.
- Egypt moved troops so that they blocked Israel’s route to the Red Sea.
- Israel launched pre emptive air attacks against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.
- During this six-day war Israel took control of the Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, and land of the West Bank.
- Egypt and Syria launched the Yom Kippur War in 1973 on the Jewish holy day to gain back land that they had lost.
- During the war Israel was not prepared for it so their leader Golda Meir asked for help from the United States and got it.
- WIth the United States help Israel was able to push back the Egyptian and Syrian armies
- During the war there was an oil embargo from Arab members of OPEC, refusing sale to U.S. and Israeli allies. This caused the price of oil to increase.
- In 1977, Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian president, wanted peace with Israel. Him and Menachem Begin, the Israeli prime minister, signed Camp David Accords
- This made it so Egypt recognized Israel, and Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.
- The treaty ended 30 years of hostility between Egypt and Israel.
- Palestinian Arabs continue in struggle for nationhood
- UN plan from 1947 guaranteed two states (Jewish and Arab)
- Land for Arabs occupied by Israel, Egypt, and Jordan after war
- Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) formed pledge to destroy Israel to get Palestinian state
- launched attacks headed by Yasser Arafat (1969) against Israel
- Israel invades Lebanon (1978 and 1982) to stop attacks
- Israel begins settling in West Bank and Gaza; tensions between people
- Israeli occupation of Palestinians led to intifada (rebellion)
- Israeli troops vs Palestinian people (street violence)
- Continued until 1990s with Israeli military troops fighting
- Oslo Accords in 1993 between Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin (Israeli PM) to end violence
- Israel gradually gives over West Bank and Gaza
- Permanent agreement between PLO and israel in 1998
- Extremists arise on both sides and ruin peace process
- Hannas suicide bombings
- Rabin assassinated by Israeli
- 2nd intifada began in 2000
- 2004, Arafat died and succeeded by Mahmoud Abbas; New israeli pm Ariel Sharon decided to withdraw from West Bank and Gaza , gave to Palestinians
- Hamas (now terrorists) gain control of Palestinian parliament (2006)
- 2006, Militants kidnapped Israeli soldiers and was targeted by airstrikes to take out extremist/ secure borders
Iranian Revolution
- The shah was ousted with a revolution
- Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had close ties with westerners and industrialized Iran ( a lot of foreign influence)
- people saw rapid change: threatened; corrupt; West: anti-Islam
- 1978 Protests began with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini: shia (religious) leader
- shah fled in 1979, Revolution turn Iran into an Islamic Republic
- New regime suppressed political opposition; strict religious and social values
- Anti-western foreign policy; shah in U.S.
- 1979, Revolutionaries seize U.S. embassy in Tehran (66 U.S. hostages) for shah to stand trial (held until Jan 1981)
Conflict with Iraq
- Iraq and Iran went to war after Iraq attacked ( Iran-Iraq War 1980) over border disputes and from Iran government calling for revolution from Iraqi Shiite pop.
- It was a long war with 500,000 people killed between the both sides
- In 1988 there was a ceasefire after a stalemate
- Saddam Hussein continued to build the Iraqi military which was already the largest among the Arabs
- Iraq accused Kuwait of drilling Iraqi oil and so they invaded Kuwait
- UN passes economic sanctions against iraq which failed
- In coalition (U.S. led) launched Persian Gulf-War, freed Kuwait in weeks
- The UN continues sanctions to force Iraq to give up chemical and biological weapons; agreement not to develop nuclear weapons
- Iraq failed inspections which means they didn’t cooperate
- Attacks on September 11 caused U.S. leaders to worry about Saddam Hussein possibly giving weapons to terrorists
- Iraq didn’t have weapons so they passed inspections, but the still weren’t cooperating
- Which led the U.S. leaders to think he hid them, which worried them.
- U.S. leads coalition (2003) to invade iraq, force Hussein out of power in Iraq War
- Wanted to bring order, peace thwarted by growing armed rebellion /insurgency (inside and outside) with deadly insurgent attacks
- Coalition made democratic Iraq, political power transferred to Iraqis in 2004.
- 2005, Election happened and constitution implemented to make Iraq an Islamic Federal Democracy
- continued uncertainty over future.