The US and Iran: Reasons for the Tension

Before 1979, Iran was a monarchy ruled by a shah (emperor). In 1977, a revolutionary movement was formed by conservative muslims who opposed the shah's pro-western policies. In January 1979, the Shah left Iran. Following this, the leader of the revolutionary movement, Ayatollah Khomeini, made public appearances to adoring crowds. The Shah's government finally collapsed on Feb. 11 after royalist troops were defeated by guerillas and rebel troops. Subsequently the Islamic Republic of Iran was proclaimed by Khomeini on April 1, 1979.

Following the revolution, Khomeini's movement held power in the Iranian parliament. They imposed new laws adhering to an ultra-conservative Islamic regime. Subsequently, Iran's relations with western countries suffered majorly.

Relations with the US became particularly antagonistic following the revolution. The US were especially annoyed to have lost an ally with such vast amounts of oil. Iran rubbed salt in the wound when in November 1979, Iranian students seized US embassy personel, labelling them as spies. The hostages were put on trial for espionage, following which the US attempted negotiating with Iran for the return of the hostages. The attempts failed, and the hostages were held until January of 1981, when the Algiers declaration was agreed upon. The US promised (among other things) in the accord to release Iranian assets that had been frozen, but as of 2008 those assets still remain frozen.

In recent years, Iran has clashed with the US on several contentious issues. Tension has been growing, and there have been threats of military action between the two countries. This is as a result of Iran claiming that the US was/is planning to use tactical nuclear weapons in a possible intervention in Iran. Reasons for the intervention would be the evidence that the US claim suggests that Iran is supporting the war effort of Al Qaeda, and that they are fuelling the sectarian violence occuring in Iraq. Motives for a US intervention are also the vast amounts of crude oil and other vital resources important to the US that Iran contains.

Of course, this cannot be the banner under which the US charge into Iran, they would need to look elsewhere for a reason to attack. Such sources of conflict in Iran are their recent capture of British servicemen who were accused of undertaking operations within Iranian territory, or the controversial nuclear proliferation program, which Iran refuse to stop, much to the annoyance of the US. This program is claimed to be purely for nuclear power by the Iranians, however the US believe that it is a step on the road to creating a nuclear weapon and therefore strongly oppose it.

Iran has also collected evidence of the US using proxies to attack the Iranian military and industries. Iran claims the the US have covertly used organisations in Iraq (that are listed by the US to be foreign terrorist organisations) to carry out attacks on Iranian forces and industries. The Mujahideen e-Khalq, an organization within Iran was allegedly supported by the CIA to carry out bombings against Iranian military and civilian targets. Iran also claims that western intelligence agencies backed an attack in Iran that killed 24 Iranian security force personnel.

Alleged intervention in Iraq

The US accuses the Quds Force, a special operations wing of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, of supplying Shiite militias with explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), or roadside bombs, as well as rocket-propelled grenades and Katyusha rockets.

The US alleges that Iran supports, trains, and finances militias like the Badr Brigade, the armed wing of one of Iraq's most religious Shiite parties whose base is in southern Iraq. It's estimated that as many as thirty-thousand Iranian operatives may be in Iraq.

Iran has sent more than two thousand religious students and scholars to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. One-third of them belong to Iranian intelligence organisations, and some are operatives sent to Shiite shrines to influence voters ahead of elections.

Nuclear policy

Iran's action

In a nutshell, they're enriching uranium at their nuclear research plant near Natanz. Iran refuse to stop - despite sanctions imposed upon them by the Bush Administration. Their program is claimed to be purely for nuclear power, however the US believe it's a step on the road to creating a nuclear weapon and are therefore freaking out.

Mahmud Ahmadinejad said earlier in 2008 that Iran is beginning to install 6,000 additional centrifuges to accelerate the pace of its uranium-enrichment program, which could lead to the eventual tripling of Iran's capacity to produce nuclear fuel or, at higher levels of enrichment, fissile material for nuclear weapons.

US reaction

The US needs the help of the UN Security Council in order to sanction Iran. The Security Council approved a third round of sanctions in March, increasing the monitoring of Iranian financial institutions, extending travel bans, and freezing assets. China and Russia favor enticements that would reward Iran for abandoning its enrichment activities; the United States and Western allies, which suspect Iran is developing a nuclear weapons capability, prefer a sanctions-based approach.

Future sanctions Russia and China look to veto - as both have massive investments in Iran (China in particular) and don't want to further offend Ahmadinejad. This also comes after Putin proposed a deal that would see Russia take on supplying enriched uranium to Iran last year.

A brief summary of the consequences of invasion/sanction

Further sanctions and god forbid, a military intervention, would spike anti-west sentiment - both the government and around 65% of the public openly show anti-US opinion. Also, Iran arguably has the most powerful army and air force in the Middle Eastern region - well trained, and well equipped. This includes some 10,000 Russian specialists employed in the Iranian Army.

Iran is certainly capable of declaring full scale war against Israel, and many analysts would go so far as to say Iran constitutes an equal and disciplined foe against an American invasion, should that occur. Of course, the US also fear initiating a domino effect in the Middle East - i.e. if the US invades Iran, it could rally anti-US countries/organisations in the Middle East to fight together. So far the approach has been merely to sanction Iran. Unfortunately for the US, the Iranian government has simply used this to generate more anti-west sentiment and to insulate themselves in their support. Sanctions have made Iran much more stubborn.