IRAN

Oil 25% of national income 98% of export value Reserves: 3rd largest in ME

4th largest in world

Culture

many ethnic groups (Persian dominant group)

speak Farsi Shia majority

US-Iran relations after WWII – friendly Shah (king) Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

looked to US for help with modernization 1950s-60s the shah used oil wealth for

economic and social reforms: health care, education, water, roads, women given right to vote

Islamic based laws changed to laws based on justice

Shah’s reforms created a small wealthy class (westernized)

Islamic Revolution religious leaders felt Islamic

traditions were being replaced alliance with US criticized shah's gov't

corrupt didn’t help the poor used secret police to silence

critics 1979 shah fled b/c of unrest

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

fundamentalist against western influence

made Iran a theocracy: nation ruled by religious leaders

Koran basis of laws

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

women wear veils in public and lost right to vote

banned western movies and music 52 Americans held hostage for 15

months US imposed a trade boycott - hurt

Iran's economy (video clip)

today

use western technology, but reject values nuclear weapons scandal June 2009: President Ahmadinejad wins

disputed re-election http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/

06/13/iran.election/#cnnSTCVideo