Eva+Steinberg

Map of Present-Day Iran
 * IRAN**

Iran in Relation to the Rest of the Middle East

1920-1940

1921: Reza Khan takes control over the Qajar dynasty, hoping to modernize the country.

1925: Reza Khan named himself Shah of Iran, and gave himself the last name Pahlavi. This marked the start of the Pahlavi Dynasty.

1938: The Trans-Iranian railroad, which was a part of Reza Shah’s plan to modernize Iran was completed. 1940-1980 1941: Iran claims to be a neutral country during WWII, but continued to allow German residency after the British requested that they stop. As a result, the British and Russians invade Iran and stay there for the duration of WWII.

1942: Britain and Russia agreed to respect Iran's independence and to withdraw their troops six months after the war.

1943: the Tehran Conference U.S reaffirmed the above agreement.

1945: Russia refused to notify Iran about when they would be leaving East and West Azerbaijan, which were northwestern provinces of Iran. In West and East Azerbaijan movements that were in favor of Russian rule had risen.

1946: Britain removed its troops from Iran. Russia refused, but later on departed from Iran. This was the only time Stalin returned a territory that he had invaded. Iran once again took control of what was now the Azerbaijan's Peoples Government  1949: The Shah gained more power after a failed attempt to kill him by the Tudeh communist party.

1951: Mossadeq becomes prime minister, and tries to nationalize the oil industry, which was owned by Britain at the time. The shah was against Mossadeq and removed him from the position of prime minister. Eventually Mossadeq regains power and the shah leaves Iran.

Mohammad Mossadeq

1953: The shah returns to Iran. President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized Operation Ajax, which resulted in the arrest of Mossadeq. After Mossadeq’s imprisonment, the Shah dominated the government. HE built up Iran, but crushed all opposing politics in the process.

1955: Iran joins the Baghdad agreement.

1957: The Israeli and U.S. intelligence help Iran form SAVAK, its own intelligence. SAVAK was later blamed for arresting, torturing, and executing many people.

1963: The shah brings on the “White Revolution”. The purpose of the “White Revolution" was to westernize Iranian society. Many, including Ayatollah Khomeini, who was eventually put in prison, opposed the revolution.

Ayatollah Khomeini

1964: Khomeini is released form prison, and goes on to denounce the U.S. government. HE was then sent into exile, where he continued to openly denounce the shah.

1967: Reza Shah is coronated as the “Shah en Shah” (King of Kings)

Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi

1971: Reza Shah celebrates 2,500 years of Persian monarchy.

1973: Reza Shah increases the price of oil.

1976: Reza Shah replaces the western calendar with a new “imperial” calendar, which begins with the start of the Persian Empire. Some people view this change as anti-Islamic.

1978: Many Iranians riot and protest the Shah’s power, and as a reaction the Shah enforces more war-like ruling methods.

1979: Reza Shah flees Iran, and Khomeini is brought out of exile. Khomeini turns Iran into a theocratic democracy run by Islamic principles, and renames Iran the Islamic Republic of Iran. 52 American employees are captured by Iranian students.

Flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran 1980- 1980: After the hostage crisis, Iran and the U.S. dissever their political arrangement. The shah dies while in exile in Egypt. Bani Sedr is elected president. Iran invades Iraq because of a dispute over the ownership of the Shatt al Arab Waterway.

1981: The American hostages are released after 444 days, and Khomeini removes Bani Sedr from his position of president. Ali Khamenei is elected as the new president.

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1983: Members of the Tudeh Communist Party are arrested and the party is banned.

1985: The U.S. tries to sell weapons to Iran in exchange for seven captives.

1988: Khomeini agrees to a cease-fire int eh Iran-Iraq War

1989: After Khomeini’s death, Ali Khamenei, is chosen as the new religious leader of Iran. Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani is elected as the new president of Iran. Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani

1993: Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani wins reelection.

1995: U.S. boycotts Iranian oil and trade because they consder Iran to be an aid to terrorist groups.

1997: Ali Mohammad Khatami-Ardakani is elected as the president. Ali Mohammad Khatami-Ardakani 1999: Students hold demonstrations and protests in Tehran.

2001: Ali Mohammad Khatami-Ardakani is reelected.

2002: American President George W. Bush refers to Iran as evil in one of his speeches. He declares that Iran is making nuclear weapons, and that this is a crime. Iran responds negatively to these comments.

2003: According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran admits that they are producing plutonium, but that here is no proof that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

2004: Conservatives reclaim control of Iran's parliament after controversial elections that were boycotted by reformists. Iran's government says it will consider re-starting its nuclear program.

2005: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is elected president.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

2006:  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad contacts America president George W. Bush in order to stop the hype about Iran’s alleged nuclear development, but continues to produce uranium, claiming that it is for “civilian energy purposes only”.

2007:  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad travels to the United States, where he makes a speech to the U.N. General Assembly against Israel. The U.S. makes new rules to try and prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The U.S. discovers that Iran has stopped producing nuclear weapons, but still has the uranium necessary to make the nuclear weapons.

2008: The International Atomic Energy Agency suspects Iran of researching nuclear weapons.

2009: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presidential elections, which causes the supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Ahmadinejad’s opponent to protest.

Relations Between Iran and Israel During the Pahlavi Dynasty and Khomeini’s reign, Iran and Israel got along fine. But, with the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005, Iran and Israel are now less friendly. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been reported saying that he hates Israel, that the Holocaust is a myth, and that he hopes to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. It is thought that he makes these statements in order to gain the support of Iranians who are upset over the situation with Palestinians in Israel. Israel is wary of what Iran possessing nuclear weapons could mean for the survival of Israel.

Map of Iran and Israel

Sources:

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