Iran is the top country in the world to sponsor terrorism (Phillips). According to United Nations (UN), Iran is the 13th largest country out of 193 countries with a population estimated of 69,515,000 in 2005 (“Iran”). Terrorism is an issue that affects everyone around the globe, whether the country participates or is merely collateral damage. By the FBI, terrorism is defined as any “violent acts…that violate state or federal law…intended to intimidate…the civilian population [or] to influence the policy of a government…by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping…that generally transcend national boundaries” (“Terrorism”). Some of the other nations that are most affected by terrorism included Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and Sudan, …show more content…
Ever since the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iran has been involved in terrorist activities. What most people do not know is that Iran suffers from its own terrorist problems. The Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) has assassinated Iranian officials and had conducted a guerrilla war. Iran also engaged in terrorist activities. The Iran Hostage Crisis was the start of many more terrorist attacks to come. 66 American hostages were taken from the American Embassy by a group of students who tortured and held them captive for more than a year. Later, in 1983 Hezbollah, also known as Hizballah, killed 17 Americans officials and 241 Marines in the bombing of the U.S. embassy and the Marine barracks in Beirut. Iran had supported Hezbollah by providing millions of dollars, arms, and training. In 1984, the U.S. government labeled Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. Iran also supported Hezbollah in a 2012 bus bombing against Israel (“Terrorism …show more content…
Tehran has maintained links to al-Qaeda and provided arms to groups like Hamas, to attack to Israel. “Ties to terrorist groups enabled Iran to extend its influence around the world, something its weak military and struggl[ing] economy could not accomplish” (Byman). Ever since the Islamic revolution, Iran has supported terrorist groups because the beliefs of Iran and the terrorist groups were similar. Therefore, Iran believes that it is supporting the “good guys.” Iran also wants to live up to its image of being an Islamic revolutionary power by establishing itself as a factor against Israel. Jundullah, a Sunni terrorist group, has planned multiple terror attacks on Iran, a prominently Shiite-dominated country, including the 2007 car bombing that killed 11 people. Until fairly recently, Iran has given full support to these terrorist groups by equipping them with weapons, money, training, and shelter (Byman). Iran is now willing to fight terrorism in the Middle
This completely changed the perception of the United States within Iran. Many Iranians believed that “American influence and power made a mockery of their national autonomy and desecrated their religious beliefs” (Farber, 37). The real struggle came once the Shah sought asylum in the U.S. Iran believed this to be a betrayal and demanded the Shah be released to the revolutionaries. Due to the fact that the United States did not refuse the Shah, the revolutionaries took the embassy in Tehran and all of the people that worked there hostage. One of the hostages wrote back to his parents during the crisis “‘We will not be set free until shah is released and the longer we stay here like this the better is a chance for something terrible to happen’” (Farber, 156). The siege was led by Iranian students who supported the revolution and the Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader that the revolution had selected to take the place of the
For decades, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East had depended on a friendly government in Iran. The newly appointed leader, the shah of Iran, began Westernizing the country and taking away power from the Ayatollah, powerful religious leaders. The United States poured millions of dollars into Iran’s economy and the shah’s armed forces, overlooking the rampant corruption in government and well-organized opposition. By early 1979, the Ayatollah had murdered the Shah and taken back power of the government. A group of students who took the American embassy hostage on November 4th, 1979, turned the embassy over to the religious leaders. Carter knew he must take action in order to regain the American embassy and the hostages, but with all of the military cutbacks, the rescue attempt was a complete failure and embarrassment. It took the United States 444 days to rescue the hostages. This was the final straw for many Americans, and enough to push them to the “right” side of the political spectrum, Republican.
Between the years of 1983 and 1986, the United States was involved in a series of covert operations, collectively known as the Iran-Contra Affair. These operations were at best controversial, and at worst blatantly illegal.The Iran-Contra Affair (or the Iran Contra-Scandal) revolved around the issue of foreign policy, specifically with regards to Iran and Nicaragua. In 1979, revolution in Iran resulted in a complete change in the countries relationship with the United States. Having previously been an ally of the U.S., Iran, under its new regime, had become decidedly anti-American. These changes caused a time period of unrest that lasted into the mid 1980’s between the U.S. and Iran. Stabilizing the situation in Iran was one of the key objectives that motivated many of the authorities who were ultimately responsible for the Iran-Contra Affair. In 1985, seven hostages were taken by a terrorist group in Lebanon. This terrorist group had ties with Iran. Therefore, when Iran requested that the United States sell arms to them, President Reagan saw it as a potential way of getting the hostages returned. President Reagan wanted to see them returned safely, and hoped to restore good relations between the U.S. and Iran in the process. Many members of Congress were strongly against the idea. To go through with the arms deal was in direct violation of several laws, including policies against selling arms to entities on lists of terrorists countries, or terrorist-friendly countries, (Iran was included on such lists). Additionally, in negotiating with Iran, the Reagan administration would be dealing with known “terrorists,” something Reagan was openly very against. Nevertheless, the Reagan administration granted the Iranian’s request, in spit...
The Iran-Contra Affair involved the United States, Iran, and Lebanon. The affair coincided with the Iranian hostage crisis, which promoted the United States’ actions in sending weapons to Iran. The Reagan administration decided to trade arms for hostages in hopes of successfully retrieving American hostages from Iran. Iran was at the time under the power of Ayatollah Khomeini, who had put his full support behind the hostage crisis and believed there was nothing that the United States could do to Iran. America’s only chance of rescuing the hostages was to put their support behind Iran in the Iran-Iraq War, which involved the shipment of weapons to Iran f...
...w the United States’ close ally Shah. Countless modernizers were persecuted, arrested and executed. In November 52 United States diplomats were held hostage by student revolutionaries who’d seized the American embassy in Tehran. America took immediate action and seized all Iranian assets. The United States attempted to negotiate. The negotiation, to the dismay of the American people dragged on for 444 days. There was a large push for President Carter to use military forces as means of negotiations; he however opted for peaceful means, which proved to be unsuccessful. Finally in April 1980 the President sanctioned a rescue mission. The attempt failed due to technical difficulties, eight men died; as a result the nation became extremely unnerved. Carter's dialogue with Iran continued throughout 1980. This was yet another failure on Carter’s part to rectify an issue.
Farber, David R. Taken Hostage: The Iran Hostage Crisis and America's First Encounter with Radical Islam. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 2005. Print.
Because of attempts to change Iran, the Iranians started to resent the United States for many reasons, which went beyond the 444 day long crisis. The crisis and the events that led up to it, still have lasting effects that create tensions between the two nations today. Through the United States involvement in Iranian affairs, the Iran hostage crisis was sparked, and established a poor relationship between Western nations and Iran. The group of students claim that the attack was carried out because of all of the prior years of US attempts to reform Iran (Bryne).
Throughout the 20th century, the United States tried to control Iran to ensure the exportation of oil to America. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi came to power in 1941 and became allies with the United States. However in the 1950s, Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh began to gain political power. Unlike the Shah, he was extremely against western influence in Iran. Mossadegh won national elections and he demanded more power. In order to retain influence in Iran, the CIA helped overthrow Mossadegh and bring Pahlavi back to power....
Hezbollah or the party of Allah was established during the first Lebanon war in 1982 by Iran and with assistance of Syria, Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim terrorist organization which emerged from Baalbek district of Lebanon Bekaa valley. Hezbollah immediately gain the acceptance of the Shia population in south Lebanon specially Beirut. Hezbollah has been inspired by a group of young Iranian who were member of the Iranian Islamic Revolution; their goal was either expelling or killing of the Israeli who are in Lebanon through excessive reliance on physical violence such as series of crude guerrilla attacks like assassination, kidnapping and suicide bombing. Hezbollah is being supported from different countries such as from Arab nationalist, Syria, Iran and Iran‘s Quds forces since it is one of the most successful anti-Muslim military group which is located in the middle east. Hezbollah is an Islamist movements which has three aspects first it is community-oriented part which representing Shia population in Lebanon, second is a nationalist party which is fighting against Israel occupation of Lebanon and finally it is part of an axis allying of Iran and Syria, which renders a crucial actor in middle east. The ideology of Hezbollah has been shaped by the same radical Islam that is being preached by Ayatollah Khomeini and guiding by the principle of Islam. Sayyad Abbas Musawi was the first leader of Hezbollah, he was born in 1952, who was an influential Lebanese Shia cleric who work as a co-founder and secretary general of Hezbollah. He studies theology in a religious school which is Najaf, Iraq, where he was influence by the view of Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1992 he has been killed by Israel Defense Force. After Musawi died Hassa...
Terrorism in the Middle East has brought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the attention of the world. These terrorist groups use murder, bombs, threats, and other violent acts to get their way politically. Hamas, the organization that has replaced Fatah as the representative of the Palestinians, is a leading sponsor of terrorism. The Hamas are the leading reason there is not peace in the middle east as they strongly embrace terrorism.
It has been said that, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. When examining organizations that make this statement true, it’s hard to ignore Hezbollah. Hezbollah, also known as Hizbullah, or Hizballah, is a Shi'a Islamic militant group and political party established and residing in Lebanon.
The threat of global terrorism continues to rise with the total number of deaths reaching 32,685 in 2015, which is an 80 percent increase from 2014 (Global Index). With this said, terrorism remains a growing, and violent phenomenon that has dominated global debates. However, ‘terrorism’ remains a highly contested term; there is no global agreement on exactly what constitutes a terror act. An even more contested concept is whether to broaden the scope of terrorism to include non-state and state actors.
The U.S. Department of State defines terrorism as, “The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological”. Whereas the Belgium Red Cross says that terrorism is committed “for the purpose of intimidating the population, forcing a third party to act or destablishing or destroying the fundamental structures of a country or of an international organization”.
Iran lost the support of the US in 1979 after the hostage crisis in Tehran, Iran. In Tehran, “66 members of the US embassy staff were taken hostage by Khomeini’s supporters” (Steele 12). The hostages were held for 444 days (Steele 12). The aftermath of the crisis was the international isolation of Iran. The US being a superpower, drove similar responses in its allies. Iran had lost a majority of their allies, which would hurt them during the war. In addition to the loss of the support of the Western countries, the Arab countries were also against Iran and supporting Iraq. The Arab countries also shared Iraq’s trepidations about the Iranian rhetoric of “exporting Islamic Revolution” (Karsh). As reported by graduate Mr. Jacek, Iran was left to defend itself economically and militarily. The other superpower at the time, the Soviet Union, had a positive relationship with Iran in the beginning. The Soviet Union had been supporting Iran in the beginning of the war. The Soviet Union then carried out an invasion of Afghanistan, and Tehran opposed the Soviet role in the invasion of Afghanistan. Iran’s relations with the Soviet Union became problematic, which negatively affected Iran (Karsh). The war with Iraq slowed down Iran’s research. Near the end of the Iran – Iraq War, Iran started working with a rogue nation, North Korea. The countries partnered up to work
Early November of 1979, Iranian citizens protested outside of the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran. Iran that year had gone through a political revolution. As a result, the dictator of Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, was overthrown. The former Iranian leader was suffering from cancer so the United States then took him in to treat him, sparking outrage among the Iranian people. In response to the United State’s actions, protesters invaded the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran.