Iran’s history for over two centuries now has been determined by its resources, above all: Oil. The ‘black gold’ that since industrialization has been the most coveted resource of all. Iran has lots of it. And it is the largest oil recovering industry of the world.
The present government is cruel internally. The rules and regulations are restrictive and deny basic human rights to all, especially to women.
It is the dreadful choice of ‘hell or high water’: All foreign powers since the 18th century, especially then-Russia, the Soviet Union and now Russia again, France, Great Britain and a little later the USA tried constantly to grab hold over Iran’s politics and thus its oil. Its resources are rich, such as gas, but oil exists in abundance.
And can be extracted with ease, the modern facilities in place.
During the reign of the last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a few very rich profited and lived in luxury, a thin layer of the society’s strata that over here are called the middle and upper middle classes also lived a fairly wealthy and quiet life.
But there was no freedom of arts, press or opinion. The Savak, the shah’s secret service was present everywhere. Would someone try and criticize the shah’s politics openly, they would rather quickly find themselves in prison, the Evin prison close to Tehran to this day is world in-famous for the cruel conditions and torture of political prisoners. It was founded during the shah’s reign.
To boot, oil at the time was basically in the hands of the US, sold to them at dumping prices, the shah lived and reigned from their grace. And they removed support when the uprisings began to become huge in 1978 and 1979.
The larger part of the Iranian population at the time, though, not only lived in the country. They were poor to starvation point, and uneducated, many were not even able to read or write.
For decades they tried to make it known and finally protested so often and in such large groups that the shah finally had to leave. That was in 1979. It enabled Ayatollah Khomeini to come back, who had had to flee the country some years previously.
He seemed to promise freedom, finally: Freedom of thoughts and ideas, of press and a more just distribution of the country’s wealth. Many a fine journalist and educated intellectual was taken in at the time.
But as soon as the government was instated, any and all ‘enemies’ of the Islamic Revolution and the ‘Islamic Republic’ were hunted down and killed or imprisoned. The freedom of opinion or press or basic human rights were denied again. Ancient Islamic laws were reinstated and especially the restrictions for women in terms of clothing, education and choice of profession were made much worse again.
A few hopes had been attached to leaders in the late 1990s and early 2000s but in vain. Some few lessened limitations were soon to be tightened again.
It is over 40 years now. The third generation of young people are living under harsh restrictions.
Yet, the international community, above all the USA to this day constantly put Iran under pressure:
Especially the Trump administration has in both its times in office committed about every political misdemeanour possible:
The contracts in regard to the control of uranium enrichment that had been reached after over 10 years of negotiation have been cancelled by Trump during his first stay in office. At the same time severe limitations and restrictions to trade and international business have been imposed upon Iran. They are not only still in place but tightened every now and again.
Making the living conditions inside the country so much worse.
What is the motivation for the USs meddling, the constant pointing of fingers, threatening and blaming Iran alternatively?
Easy to figure out really: No one would lift a finger very probably, if Iran wasn’t so rich in resources.
Iran and Persia to this day for a lot of fine reasons ring in people’s ears with wonders and a thousands of years’ old culture, reaching far back beyond Islam’s advent.
If anything, a free government and political culture of its own, unmolested by outside powers will be Iran’s salvation.