how has oil shaped the politics of Iran?

Question

please give an extensive answer and explain why

Answer 1

The oil wealth of middle Eastern nations, including the Persian nation is a relatively new reality. Note that crude has nearly quadrupled in value in less than a decade. And so, we are yet to see fully how this new found wealth will play out as it might affect Persian politics, and surely it will. Despite its ample reserves of black gold, it lacks the refining capacity to produce enough of its domestic gasoline and cracked petroleum products needs. As a result, Iran is the second and sometimes third greatest IMPORTER of gasoline on Earth!!!

Because of a relatively week infrastructure, corruption and mis-allocation, much of the civilian population is restive. Unemployment is a massive problem in Iran, and though much is censored, the highly intelligent populace knows this inadequacy of its ruling class.

More than most Muslim countries outside of Turkey, Iran's youth, and there are a great many youth, long for the riches and materialistic well being of the west! If Iran does not soon 'share' the wealth and tackle internal problems affecting the masses she might well become ripe for revolution.

What a great world it would be if Iran's strength and academic brain-power were to join the free world in tackling the planet's problems.

Answer 2

Oil allows Iran to have significant political parity in the international forum. It use Oil as a bargaining chip to barter what it needs political and materially. Since the removal of the shah of Iran, and the rise of the Ayatollah. Iran control a significant amount of the world oil reserves. The world runs on Oil. The allow leverage in political system as it cannot be taken from them. It keep the Religious power structure in tact by creating a since of stability in the Iranian People.

Answer 3

A lot. In the sense that without having a mass export of oil from this country they would slowly cease to exsist because of major economical problems. They would also not be as big of part in the War Against Terrorism because the US would have no need to make them happy. Basically without oil we'd probably have troops chillin in there right now.

Answer 4

well i am little bit from Iran and i don't think we responible for the oil, well i don't really know cuse i have not been there bfore but i have read magize and books to know that there (or we) are 20% OUT of a 100% chace that we are the ones who are responible.

Answer 5

Oil is not an important issue in Iran as they do not believe in that type of development.

Answer 6

Money and politics , no in depth reason necessary except that the world needs it and they have it.

Answer 7

My friend, bcoz it's their only income ?!

Regards.

Answer 8

In 1951, a nationalist politician, Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh rose to prominence in Iran and was elected Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, Mossadegh became enormously popular in Iran by nationalizing the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later British Petroleum, BP) which controlled the country's oil reserves. In response, Britain embargoed Iranian oil and began plotting to depose Mossadegh. Members of the British Intelligence Service invited the United States to join them, convincing U.S. President Eisenhower that Mossadegh was reliant on the Tudeh (Communist) Party to stay in power. In 1953, President Eisenhower authorized Operation Ajax, and the CIA took the lead in overthrowing Mossadegh and supporting a U.S.-friendly monarch; and for which the U.S. Government apologized in 2000.

The CIA faced many setbacks, but the covert operation soon went into full swing, conducted from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran under the leadership of Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. Iranians were hired to protest Mossadegh and fight pro-Mossadegh demonstrators. Anti- and pro-monarchy protestors violently clashed in the streets, leaving almost three hundred dead. The operation was successful in triggering a coup, and within days, pro-Shah tanks stormed the capital and bombarded the Prime Minister's residence. Mossadegh surrendered, and was arrested on 19 August 1953. He was tried for treason, and sentenced to three years in prison.

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi returned to power greatly strengthened and his rule became increasingly autocratic in the following years. With strong support from the U.S. and UK, the Shah further modernized Iranian industry, but simultaneously crushed all forms of political opposition with his intelligence agency, SAVAK. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became an active critic of the Shah's White Revolution and publicly denounced the government. Khomeini, who was popular in religious circles, was arrested and imprisoned for 18 months. After his release in 1964, Khomeini publicly criticized the United States government. The Shah was persuaded to send him into exile by General Hassan Pakravan. Khomeini was sent first to Turkey, then to Iraq and finally to France. While in exile, he continued to denounce the Shah.
The Iranian Revolution (also known as the Islamic Revolution) transformed Iran from a monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic.

Arrival of Ayatollah Khomeini on February 1, 1979 from FranceThe revolution began in January 1978 with the first major demonstrations against the Shah. After strikes and demonstrations paralyzed the country, the Shah fled the country in January 1979. On February 1, 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile to Tehran, enthusiastically greeted by millions of Iranians. The Pahlavi dynasty collapsed ten days later on February 11 when Iran's military declared itself "neutral" after guerrillas and rebel troops overwhelmed troops loyal to the Shah in armed street fighting. Iran officially became an Islamic Republic on April 1, 1979 when Iranians overwhelmingly approved a national referendum to make it so. In December 1979 the country approved a theocratic constitution, whereby Khomeini became Supreme Leader of the country. The speed and success of the revolution surprised many throughout the world, as it had not been precipitated by a military defeat, a financial crisis, or a peasant rebellion. It produced profound change at great speed. It overthrew a regime thought to be heavily protected by a lavishly financed army and security services. And it replaced a monarchy with a theocracy based on Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists (or velayat-e faqih). Although both nationalists and Marxists joined with Islamic traditionalists to overthrow the Shah, it ultimately resulted in an Islamic Republic "under the guidance of an 80-year-old exiled religious scholar from Qom," Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Iran's relations with the United States became deeply antagonistic during the revolution. On November 4, 1979, Iranian students seized US embassy personnel, labeling the embassy a "den of spies." They accused its personnel of being CIA agents plotting to overthrow the revolutionary government, as the CIA had done to Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953. While the student ringleaders had not asked for permission from Khomeini to seize the embassy, Khomeini nonetheless supported the embassy takeover after hearing of its success. While most of the female and African American hostages were released within the first months, the remaining fifty-two hostages were held for 444 days. This is often considered a violation of the long-standing principle of international law that diplomats are immune from arrest (diplomatic immunity). The students demanded the handover of the Shah in exchange for the hostages, and following the Shah's death in the summer of 1980, that the hostages be put on trial for espionage. Subsequently attempts by the Jimmy Carter administration to negotiate or rescue were unsuccessful until January 1981 when the Algiers declaration was agreed upon. The U.S. promised (among other things) in the accord to release Iranian assets that had been frozen, but as of 2007 those assets still remain frozen.

Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein decided to take advantage of what he perceived to be disorder in the wake of the Iranian Revolution and its unpopularity with Western governments. The once-strong Iranian military had been disbanded during the revolution, and with the Shah ousted, Hussein had ambitions to position himself as the new strong man of the Middle East. He also sought to expand Iraq's access to the Persian Gulf by acquiring territories that Iraq had claimed earlier from Iran during the Shah's rule. Of chief importance to Iraq was Khuzestan which not only boasted a substantial Arab population, but rich oil fields as well. On the unilateral behalf of the United Arab Emirates, the islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs became objectives as well. With these ambitions in mind, Hussein planned a full-scale assault on Iran, boasting that his forces could reach the capital within three days. On September 22, 1980 the Iraqi army invaded Iran at Khuzestan, precipitating the Iran-Iraq War. The attack took revolutionary Iran completely by surprise.

Although Saddam Hussein's forces made several early advances, by 1982, Iranian forces managed to push the Iraqi army back into Iraq. Khomeini sought to export his Islamic revolution westward into Iraq, especially on the majority Shi'a Arabs living in the country. The war then continued for six more years until 1988, when Khomeini, in his words, "drank the cup of poison" and accepted a truce mediated by the United Nations