Made in the USA: Iran’s Grievances

Iran’s list of official grievances against the United States include:

1. The U.S.-backed coup against democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq in 1953;

2. The oppression by the Shah, a strong ally to the United States in the Middle East until the 1979 Revolution;

3. The alleged basing of American spy operations in Iran out of the U.S. embassy in Tehran (prior to its closure due to the hostage crisis);

4. Washington’s support for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the brutal Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s;

5. The 1987 downing of an Iranian civilian airliner over the Persian Gulf;

6. Of late, sanctions that have severely squeezed Iran’s economy.

Adapted from Not All Iranians Want a Nuclear Deal by Lionel Barber (Financial Times)