Trump, Iran, and Solemani

On January 3, 2020, American forces killed Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps with a drone strike in Iraq. Along with Soleimani, Americans killed nine other Iranian military personnel in Iraq. Soleimani was Iran’s number one military leader in the area. In response to this, Iran launched 15 missiles aimed at American soldiers in Iraq. No American was killed, but the Pentagon reported that thirty-four Americans suffered nonimpact injuries. It is important to know the history of the area and the relations between the United States of America and Iran to understand what the current event means.
 
From 1925-1979
In 1921, A Persian officer, Reza Khan, orchestrated a coup of Iran, overthrew a dynasty, and took the title of Shah (king) of Iran in 1925. Reza Shah ruled until 1941, when Allied forces invaded Iran to guarantee Iranian oil would help the U.S.A., Great Britain, and the Soviet Union win World War II.  The Allies replaced Reza Shah with his son, Mohammad-Reza Shah (simply known as the Shah of Iran). After World War II, the Iranian government moved against American and British interests. Iranians removed the Shah. In 1951, Iran nationalized the British-owned oil industry.  Two years later, the United States and Great Britain organized a coup, overthrew the Iranian government, and placed the Shah back in power as king. Throughout his rule, the Shah of Iran instituted democratic reforms. In 1963, women gained the right to vote in parliamentary elections. This democratization of Iran upset the radical Islamic leaders of Iran. They believe that women should not have the right to vote and should be treated as second-class citizens.
 
The Iranian Revolution and the Islamic Republic 1979 – 2016
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, many in Iran were unhappy with the Shah of Iran and his supporters, the U.S.A. and Great Britain.  The main leader of the revolution was the Islamic leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who believed that everyone requires guardianship by a leading Islamic leader. The Ayatollah was upset at the Shah’s western ties, believing the west to be evil and decadent. He did not approve that women should have the same rights as men. In 1979, massive protests throughout the country forced the Shah to leave.  The Ayatollah took power, and a national vote made Iran an Islamic Republic. Iranians held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days from 1979 to 1981. In 1989, the Ayatollah Khomeini died and the Ayatollah Khamenei replaced him as the “Supreme Leader.” Iran has a parliamentary system, but every governmental decision has to be approved and is directed by the religious leader the Ayatollah Khamenei.
 
The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the U.S.A. is the “Great Satan,” the source of everything in the world that is evil, it officially hates Israel and seeks to destroy it, and it does not allow any freedom that goes against its strict interpretation of Islam. It publicly states its hatred for the United States and Israel, and, it openly supports terrorist organizations that kill Americans, Israelis, and anyone who opposes the Iranian view of the world. Ayatollah Khamenei uses every method of communication, including Twitter, to detail his plan for eliminating Israel. In Iran, women have much less rights than men, men can have four wives, and the government of Iran punishes those who do not follow the religious laws. For example, the punishment for homosexuality is execution and the punishment for adultery for women is execution.  
 
Since Iran became a theocratic dictatorship, the United States has tried to isolate Iran and work with allies to confront the country. Still, Iran has been successful in sponsoring, arming, and cooperating with terrorists. For a complete list of their decades of murder and terror, simply conduct an internet search with the phrase “Iran and state-sponsored terrorism.”
 
The Obama Administration and the Iran Nuclear Deal
President Obama thought that the best way to change Iran was not to isolate Iran but to remove all sanctions against the country and to look the other way if Iran sponsored terror. President Obama believed that Iran would eventually join other nations if it were treated as if it were a peaceful country. During the Obama administration, American cooperation with Iran continued even though Iran kept funding and coordinating terrorist acts against Americans and its allies. In the fall of 2015, the Obama administration orchestrated what is called the Iran Nuclear Deal between the U.S.A., Russia, China, Great Britain, France, and Germany.
The Agreement between the Six Countries and Iran

1. The six governments will lift all economic sanctions against Iran.
2. Iran promises to not build a nuclear bomb. If it is believed that it is breaking this promise, there is a 24 day-waiting period before all seven governments of the deal can investigate and decide if inspections can be made in Iran. Iran retains the power to deny those inspections. After ten years, no inspections are allowed.
3. The deal would give the world at least one year’s notice that Iran is seeking a bomb. After ten years, no notice is needed.
4. $150 Billion of Iranian assets that had been frozen by governments around the world will be released to the Iranian government.
5. After five years, Iran will be allowed to purchase as many conventional weapons as it wants to. However, Russia announced an arms sale to Iran that took effect immediately.

President Trump and Iran, 2017- Today
President Trump ran for office decrying the Iran Nuclear Deal as the “worst deal ever negotiated.” He argued that the deal gave Iran money to sponsor more terror, did not hinder Iran from building nuclear weapons, endangered Americans and its allies, and allowed the failing Iranian dictatorship to withstand criticism at home. Iran had indeed continued to sponsor terror, and the U.S. could not get Iran to change its ways. In May of 2018, the United States of America officially withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal. In 2019, Iran announced it had exceeded the limits to its stockpile of low enriched uranium and began enriching uranium to a higher concentration. It also, essentially, withdrew from the deal.
 
Qasem Soleimani and Attacks on Americans
Since 1998, Iranian General Qasem Soleimani had been actively involve in planning, directing, and implementing the killing of Americans and its allies in Iraq, as well as actively supporting terrorist organizations in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. He was commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which was responsible for killing 608 American soldiers during the Iraq War, as well as injuring over 1,000 Americans. He abetted genocide in Syria in support of Bashar Assad, and he aided the terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon with military hardware and training that went into use attacking innocent Israelis. Soleimani was Iran’s number one military commander operating in foreign countries. In late December, 2019, Soleimani-backed Iranian militias killed an American contractor and wounded American soldiers in Iraq. Also in December, Soleimani-supported terrorists attacked the American embassy in Iraq. At the time of his killing in Iraq, Soleimani was actively planning to kill more Americans and its allies in the region.
 
On January 3, 2020, American forces killed Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps with a drone strike in Iraq. Along with Soleimani, Americans killed nine other Iranian military personnel in Iraq. President Trump defended the attack by arguing that anybody who kills Americans will be met by force.
 
Political Unrest in Iran
In response to America’s attack against Soleimani, Iran launched missiles at American military sites in Iraq. At about the same time, the Iranians mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet that had just taken off from the Baghdad Airport, killing all passengers on board. Most of the passengers were Iranian citizens. Initially claiming the jet crashed on its own, the Iranian military then admitted its error. In response, thousands of Iranians protested, demanding that the Ayatollah Khamenei step down from terror. The protesters were met with Iranian police action, including being fired upon, beaten, and arrested.
 
The Trump Policy Regarding Iran
President Trump has warned Iran that if any Americans are harmed due to an Iranian strike, the United States would respond militarily. He tweeted, ““Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites...some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture.” The 52 sites are supposed to refer to the 52 Americans held hostage in 1979-1980. It appears that the fifteen missiles Iran launched against the Americans did not meet President Trump’s criteria for military retaliation as the missiles did not directly hit Americans. Trump did announce that America would impose “powerful sanctions” against Iran until it changed its ways.
Questions

1. What ancient empire does Iran trace itself to?
2. Who conquered the Persians in the 1200s?
3. Why did the United States and Great Britain sponsor a coup in Iran in 1953?

1. What happened in 1979 in Iran?
2. How does Iran view Israel and the United States?
3. Do you think President Obama followed the best policy with Iran?
4. How has President Trump changed America’s policy with Iran?
5. Do you think President Obama or President Trump has the better policy towards Iran?
6. Who was Soleimani?
7. Was the United States justified in killing Soleimani?

By John De Gree, © 2020 by The Classical Historian, All Rights Reserved.