Date: 2024-12-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00021874
IRAN
IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
PLACEHOLDER
IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
PLACEHOLDER
Original article:
Burgess COMMENTARY
The Iran hostage crisis in the 1970s deeply soured relations with the United States. It was not helped any by the crass policisation of the situation by Ronald Reagan (Republican) at the expense of President Carter (Democrat).
I am not an expert on Iran, but I have some modest knowledge of history. Iran ... Persia ... has a long history, a deep culture and was an important power for centuries. EXPAND THIS PARAGRAPH ABOUT HISTORY
In modern times there have been several drivers of Iran's actions:
- The role of religion ... government by the Mullahs
- The role of oil ... a critical driver of Iran's economy
- The role of geopolitical dirty tricks
The role of religion ... government by the Mullahs
The role of oil ... a critical driver of Iran's economy
The role of geopolitical dirty tricks
I want to make the case that Iran can be a more reliable friend to the 'West' than Saudi Arabia and most of the Emirates on the Arabian peninsular. That is not to say that these countries should not be friends of the West, but simply to argue that the people and culture and history of Iran have a lot more in common with the West than the people and cultures of the countries of the Arabian penninsular.
Peter Burgess