Does Iran matter?

@JSul3 em, seriously?

@samueltyler2 Fact.

On Aug. 19, 2013, the CIA publicly admitted for the first time its involvement in the 1953 coup against Iran's elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.

Mohammad Mossadegh was a beloved figure in Iran. During his tenure, he introduced a range of social and economic policies, the most significant being the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry. Great Britain had controlled Iran's oil for decades through the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. After months of talks the prime minister broke off negotiations and denied the British any further involvement in Iran's oil industry. Britain then appealed to the United States for help, which eventually led the CIA to orchestrate the overthrow of Mossadegh and restore power to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.

And things have never been the same since.

@JSul3 okay, if that is what you are referred by to that is really digging something out of the past. I will have to check the events that you are calling facts. The USA has not been faultless, but, the current situation really dates back to the overthrow of the Shah, not a wonderful leader, but he was the head of a pretty wealthy country at the time. Who, you mentioned, was 'restored" to power.

Even if so, what does that have to do with the Iranian attacks on Israel?

@samueltyler2 Feel free. You will find many sources that state that the US helped to overthrow the popular Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.

It's been a known fact for years, the CIA finally fessed up because everyone knew they did it.

@JSul3 are you now saying the CIA helped overthrow the Shah as well?


as i said though, what does that have to do with the OP?

@samueltyler2 Typo on my part. I am referring to Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.
He was elected by the people of Iran and the US helped remove him.

The people of Iran have long memories.
You don't win friends at the end of a gun or dropping a bomb on them.

@JSul3 again, what does that have to do with Israel?

@samueltyler2
It matters because it provides historical background to "Does Iran Matter?"

If you disagree, ignore my comments and proceed.

@JSul3 you lost me. Of course Iran's people matter and Israel's people matter. The question seems more rhetoric than real.

@samueltyler2 Does Gaza matter?

@JSul3 what are you asking now? Do Gazan's matter of course they do. Do Israel's matter? Is Israel's reaction perhaps too much, perhaps. But, if Hamas continues to declare, from the river to the sea and refuses to accept a 2 state solution where do we go? Again, what does that have to do with the OP?

@samueltyler2 JSul3 is correct. Britain and USA did help to organize a coup in 1953 and this led to the Iranian shah's power being restored. Iran's history in relation to present circumstances is very relevant to the OP.

The shah was good and bad, but it is indisputable that he was favored by the West as he was amenable to the West. He was prepared to westernize Iran, which he did to some extent. In some ways they benefited from his projects with USA, and in other ways they did not. Iran was making many profits from oil by early 1970s, but people did not feel it was being distributed properly. USA was benefiting because the shah had split oil revenues with them from 1954.