US-Iran Relations

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US-Iran Relations
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Critical Questions

• How have the US and Iran treated one another over
  the course of the last 50 years or so?
• How would you evaluate US foreign policy
  decisions have US actions been justified?
• Does Iran constitute a threat today, and if so,
  how should the US respond to it?

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Some Key Events

• 1953 CIA overthrow of Mossadeq
• 1953-1979 US supports the shah
• Nov. 1979-Jan. 1981 Iranian hostage crisis
• 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War (US supports Iraq)
• Mid-1980s Iran-Contra Affair

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Some More Key Events

• 9/11/2001 Iran condemns the attacks and
  cooperates w/ US toppling of Afghan govt
• 2002 Bush labels Iran part of the Axis of Evil
  US-Iran relations remain poor ex. Ahmadinejad
  criticizes the US war in Iraq, Bush accuses Iran
  of arming insurgents in Iraq

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Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz

• Transit route for 1/5 of the worlds oil
• Closing it could cause oil prices to skyrocket by
  50 within days

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Iran would be shooting itself in the foot by
closing the Strait the Strait is Irans only
means of shipping its oil to customers (China is
its biggest) Irans already troubled economy
would hurt even more.
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US and EU embargo of Iranian oil result in
increasing gas prices.