Love /Hate relationship between USA and IRAN

     Reza Khan, staged a coup in 1921, and became the Shah in 1925 with the name of Reza Shah Pahlavi and immediately started to modernise the country, building infrastructure, railroads, education, the judiciary etc. He also sent hundreds to study abroad, so that the country could be self-reliant. He favored a strong centralised government and wanted to reduce foreign influence, especially British( they controlled the oilfields through the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co.). He changed the name of the country,1935, from Persia( which favored a particular group) to Iran, to make it more inclusive, and he sought assistance from Germany, Italy, France etc. This did not sit well with the British and when Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, it demanded that all Germans be expelled from the country, but Reza Shah refused and was forced into exile in 1941 and his son was put in power.
     The British and the USSR  had by now become allies and they decided to occupy Iran and thus control the very important oil supply. The USSR invaded from the North and the British from the South and signed an agreement, to vacate the country within six months of the end of the war. This agreement was reaffirmed at the Teheran conference of 1943 among Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin. The Soviets left in 1946 taking Azerbaijan with it, but the British stayed to protect their oil interests.
   The first competitive elections in 20 years, was held in 1944. After the war, there was years of unrest, mainly because of the Shah's western "bias", ( he also wanted to continue his father's modernisation programme), the young Shah made the strong nationalist leader Mohammad Mosaddeq the Prime Minister. A struggle for control ensued and the Shah fled the country. The USA accused Mosadeghq of being a communist and with the British (who wanted to protect their oil interests), staged a coup, (the first of many by the CIA), overthrew him and returned the Shah to power. There was outrage and riots, which were bloodily dealt with and so began 36 years of authoritarian, violent and repressive rule, aided by the CIA and the SAVAK...trained and controlled by the CIA.
     The Americans became the major player, as Iran shared a long border with the USSR, which the Americans wanted to use for surveillance on the Soviets. The USA armed, trained and controlled the Iranian military and security forces and became clearly identified with the regime and its treatment of the people...arrest, beatings, imprisonment, killings, exile, were the order of the day.
     Eventually in 1979, things came to a head. The Shah, once again fled into exile and an Islamic Republic was established under the Ayatollah Khomeini and America became the " Great Satan". The American embassy in Teheran was sacked and many Americas were taken as hostages ( a clear violation of international law) and kept captive for 444 days. ( The relationship had been so close between the USA and Iran, that the Reagan Administration included them in the Iran/Contra Affair).
     Those days of close friendship have been replaced  with hatred and suspicion, with support for Saddam Hussein during his 8 years (1980-88) homocidal war with Iran and with trade embargo/sanctions and threats of war. 
     A new government is in place in Teheran and have been making "cooing" sounds, sending messages of peace and reconciliation but too many years and too much hatred have gone by, so there are doubts and a reluctance to believe. However, there is the beginning of a dialogue, so perhaps, at long last, these two former allies (at least, at the governmental level)  may be inching forward a rapprochement. 
       On Nov. 24, a deal was struck between the P5+1...US,GB. France, Russia, China and Germany and Iran, whereby in return for a easing of sanctions, Iran will put its nuclear program on hold for 6 months, and agree to allow daily inspections of nuclear facilities. Negotiation and compromise rather than confrontation and war. Israel and Saudi Arabia , strange bedfellows are against the deal and so is the "out-of step" Canadians. The world is a better and safer place as war and instability has been pushed back.