THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN IRAN
The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran was a defining moment in recent Middle Eastern history. It led to the creation of Islamism or Political Islam, which was the use of Islamic (Sharia) law and beliefs as a basis for a political ideology. As a result of the revolution, Iran became an Islamic Republic with an Ayatollah (high ranking Shia Islamic religious leader) as its supreme leader and a constitution based on Islamic beliefs.
Prior to the revolution, Iran had been ruled by monarchs (or shahs), the last of whom- Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, had attempted to make Iran a more secular society through a program of modernization and westernisation known as the White Revolution, which he introduced in 1963.This served to anger a large part of the Iranian population, who were conservative Shi'a.
The Shah had also (along with his Western allies) attracted opposition from nationalists for his part in the removal of his democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, eleven years earlier in 1953.
Mossadegh was elected into office in 1951 and set about enacting a series of ambitious reforms, including nationalization of industry and land redistribution. He also managed to restrict the power of the Shah. These policies alarmed Anglo-Iranian Oil, a British oil company that owned the majority of Iranian oil holdings. They complained to the British government, who were able to secure the cooperation of the US government by claiming that Mossadegh was part of plot to bring Iran into the Soviet sphere of influence (the Cold War was well under way by this stage).
The results of the US and UK negotiations was a joint CIA and MI6 covert operation (known as Operation Ajax) to remove Mossadegh from power and restore the Shah to full power.
This operation was a success and resulted in Iran firmly remaining in the Western sphere of influence and Anglo-Iranian Oil (later BP) retaining possession of its oil holdings. However, it was not good for the Iranian population as a whole. The Shah was able to become much more autocratic and introduced his unpopular White Revolution and suppressed opposition with the much feared SAVAK.
One of his opponents, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was exiled in 1964 but was able to reach out to his followers via tape recordings, thereby sustaining massive support. Khomeini was allowed to live in Iraq, which to this day also has a large Shi'a majority, from 1965 to 1978, when he was told to leave by then Iraqi Vice-President, Saddam Hussein. After leaving Iraq, Khomeini was denied access to other Arab countries and moved to suburb of Paris.
By late 1978, civil unrest as a result of the Shah's policies had reached a peak and it was clear that he was losing control. Despite as attempted transition to a provisional civilian government, the Shah left Iran and Khomeini returned to Iran in early 1979. Khomeini actively opposed the civilian government and proposed the appointment of his own government under his choice of prime minister, Mehdi Barzagan. Soldiers began to defect to his side. Within a few weeks of his return to Iran, the provisional government had collapsed and the army had declared neutrality.
At the end of March, a referendum was held asking the following question: 'should the monarchy be abolished in favour of an Islamic Government?'
98% voted for the Islamic Government.
The Consequences of the Revolution
The revolution had far-reaching consequences across the region and at a global level.
In November 1979, a group of students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took 52 diplomats hostage for 444 days. The hostages were not released until the 20th of January 1981. Operation Ajax, the 1953 coup which removed Mossadegh from power, had been planned inside the embassy which the students labelled "a den of spies". This was extremely humiliating for US President Jimmy Carter, whose administration had been caught by surprise by the events of the revolution since 1978 and was viewed by many political opponents with the USA as projecting weakness.
The international response, and especially that of the US, was one of outrage. As a result, Iran was subject to wide ranging economic sanctions, preventing the sale of Iranian oil to previously important trading partners. The impact of these sanctions upon the Iranian economy and society are still being felt today.
The US attempted to free the hostages in 1980 using a covert special forces operation but this was unsuccessful. 6 diplomats who escaped capture and took refuge in the Canadian ambassador's house were extracted from Iran by a joint US-Canadian operation in the same year. This was made famous by the recent Hollywood movie "Argo".
The Carter administration entered into negotiations with the Iranian government to secure the release of the hostages. Iran agreed to their release but only followed through on this deal minutes after incoming US President Ronald Reagan had been officially inaugurated. This was the final insult for Carter, preventing him from taking the credit for getting the hostages freed during his presidency.
Within the Middle East, Arab countries saw the newly created Islamic Republic of Iran as a threat. Although not an Arab country, Iran had been a monarchy that had not promoted a Shi'a agenda. As Sunni monarchies, they felt threatened by a Shi'a republic for fear that the revolution could incite their Shi'a populations to revolt. This was especially worrying for Iraq and Bahrain where the Shi'a were in a majority.
In response to the revolution, neighbouring Iraq declared war on Iran in 1980. This is covered in more detail later on.
Finally, of even more significance was the rise of Islamism or political Islam, whereby Islam became a basis for a political ideology. As during the Cold War, this led to the creation of Islamic insurgent groups who helped to destabilize some Arab countries and commit acts of terrorism.
Hezbollah, a Shi'a insurgency group from Southern Lebanon, was created and funded by Iran in response to the Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. They are involved in both the Israel-Palestinian conflicts and Syrian Civil War.
Hamas, a Sunni insurgency group from the Gaza Strip, was formed in the late 1980's. Today they are in control of the Gaza Strip and are frequently involved in conflict with Israel.
Al Qaeda, a Sunni terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi national. Most notorious for the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington D.C. in 2001, they were formed out of the remnants of the Mujahedeen, who resisted the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan between 1979 and 1989. Bin Laden was killed by US special forces during a raid on a Al Qaeda safe house in Pakistan in 2011.
ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), a Sunni insurgency and terrorist group who currently control large part of astern Syria and western Iraq. They were formed in the aftermath of the US and UK invasion of Iraq in 2003 and aim to create a Caliphate (Islamic state controlled by a supreme religious leader), incorporating large parts of the Middle East.
All 4 groups possess ideologies and beliefs based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law and hav
The revolution had far-reaching consequences across the region and at a global level.
In November 1979, a group of students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took 52 diplomats hostage for 444 days. The hostages were not released until the 20th of January 1981. Operation Ajax, the 1953 coup which removed Mossadegh from power, had been planned inside the embassy which the students labelled "a den of spies". This was extremely humiliating for US President Jimmy Carter, whose administration had been caught by surprise by the events of the revolution since 1978 and was viewed by many political opponents with the USA as projecting weakness.
The international response, and especially that of the US, was one of outrage. As a result, Iran was subject to wide ranging economic sanctions, preventing the sale of Iranian oil to previously important trading partners. The impact of these sanctions upon the Iranian economy and society are still being felt today.
The US attempted to free the hostages in 1980 using a covert special forces operation but this was unsuccessful. 6 diplomats who escaped capture and took refuge in the Canadian ambassador's house were extracted from Iran by a joint US-Canadian operation in the same year. This was made famous by the recent Hollywood movie "Argo".
The Carter administration entered into negotiations with the Iranian government to secure the release of the hostages. Iran agreed to their release but only followed through on this deal minutes after incoming US President Ronald Reagan had been officially inaugurated. This was the final insult for Carter, preventing him from taking the credit for getting the hostages freed during his presidency.
Within the Middle East, Arab countries saw the newly created Islamic Republic of Iran as a threat. Although not an Arab country, Iran had been a monarchy that had not promoted a Shi'a agenda. As Sunni monarchies, they felt threatened by a Shi'a republic for fear that the revolution could incite their Shi'a populations to revolt. This was especially worrying for Iraq and Bahrain where the Shi'a were in a majority.
In response to the revolution, neighbouring Iraq declared war on Iran in 1980. This is covered in more detail later on.
Finally, of even more significance was the rise of Islamism or political Islam, whereby Islam became a basis for a political ideology. As during the Cold War, this led to the creation of Islamic insurgent groups who helped to destabilize some Arab countries and commit acts of terrorism.
Hezbollah, a Shi'a insurgency group from Southern Lebanon, was created and funded by Iran in response to the Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. They are involved in both the Israel-Palestinian conflicts and Syrian Civil War.
Hamas, a Sunni insurgency group from the Gaza Strip, was formed in the late 1980's. Today they are in control of the Gaza Strip and are frequently involved in conflict with Israel.
Al Qaeda, a Sunni terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi national. Most notorious for the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington D.C. in 2001, they were formed out of the remnants of the Mujahedeen, who resisted the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan between 1979 and 1989. Bin Laden was killed by US special forces during a raid on a Al Qaeda safe house in Pakistan in 2011.
ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), a Sunni insurgency and terrorist group who currently control large part of astern Syria and western Iraq. They were formed in the aftermath of the US and UK invasion of Iraq in 2003 and aim to create a Caliphate (Islamic state controlled by a supreme religious leader), incorporating large parts of the Middle East.
All 4 groups possess ideologies and beliefs based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law and hav