President Jimmy Carter: The Iran Hostage Crisis



President Jimmy Carter: The Iran Hostage Crisis

Introduction

Disputes are an inevitable outcome of politics, which have in worldwide, in one form or the other. The disputes may occur on the basis of philosophies, which the people belonging to a different part of the world. It can also, occur on the basis of motives pursued by people. However, as the nature of the disputes varies, so does their intensity. Some disputes last for long while some are resolved in a very short time. Moreover, disputes among nations can also affect other countries across the globe. History has revealed many disputes among the nations, with some so intense that lead to world wars. However, after world war two, the most intense dispute experienced by the world, was the Iran hostage crisis, which occurred between Iran and America, during the rule of President Jimmy Carter.

Background of the Iran Hostage Crisis

The hostage crisis in Iran, date back to the events that occurred during the 1950s. The major cause of the conflict between Iran and America was over oil. British and US corporations gained considerable control over the oil reserves of Iran soon after they were discovered. In 1951, after Muhammad Mossadegh was elected as the new prime minister of Iran, the scenario changed. Mossadegh was a European-educated nationalist, who devised a new plan to nationalize the oil industry. This was a threat for the British and US corporations; hence they decided to replace Mossadegh with a leader, who is more receptive to the interests of the west. In 1953, Pahlavi sworn in as the new prime minister, after the deposition of the former. Pahlavi was pro-Western, anti-communist and secular. He returned around 80% of Iran's oil reserves back to the British and US corporations for millions of dollar foreign aid. He spent billions of dollars on acquiring American weapons while the country's economy suffered a setback (www.history.com). A major cause of the protest was uneven distribution of wealth and increasing westernization of culture. This led to public resentment and protests countrywide leading to the downfall of Pahlavi's rule (http://history.state.gov)

The actual crisis

After wave of protests in Iran, against the rule of shah, carter had to face a tough time. The situation worsened as carter was unable to decide the measures, which could help him cope with the situation. His national security advisor Brzezinski encouraged Carter to induce shah to suppress the revolution in Iran by use of force. On the converse, Vance of State Department wanted Carter to encourage a smooth transition leading to a new government. Carter was unable to decide the best action, and followed neither of the two. Due to this, he had to face serious consequences. Pahlavi's rule ended in January 1979, after which, he fled to Egypt. The Irani government was overtaken by Ayatollah Khomeini. The people cheered his return, after fourteen years of exile but demanded the trial of the former leader Shah. The exiled former leader Shah of Iran suffered from ...