From a historical point of view, Iran is seen as a nation strongly influenced by the Islamic expansion that marked the medieval period. In fact, the religious values of this country have a degree of penetration that manifests itself in different spheres of daily life of the Iranian people. However, the understanding of this troubled political scenario should not only be limited to a simple criticism of the hegemony of Islamic thought within its culture.
In the first decades of the 20th century, Iran aroused the interest of the Western world because of its valuable oil reserves. Initially, the interference in Iran came from the British government, which tried to preserve its interests with the energy reserves of the Islamic nation. However, in 1951, foreign political-economic interference took a heavy blow when Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh nationalized oil exploration in his country.
However, two years later, with US logistical and military support, Mohammad Reza Pahlevi consecrated a dictatorial government committed to the interests of the capitalist bloc. Enjoying wide powers, this statesman pursued the supporters of the Iranian nationalist movement and established the adoption of Western practices, dress and consumption patterns in the country. Cornered, the nationalists promoted the maintenance of their political orientation inside the Iranian mosques.
The fusion between the nationalist discourse and the defense of religious ideals gained strength under the voice of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In this way, defending the conservative political interference of the Iranian clergy became a way of defending national interests against foreign intervention. Exiled in Iraq, Khomeini was forced to withdraw from the country at the request of the dictator Saddam Hussein, then an ally of the Americans.
In early 1979, a series of riots, protests and strikes announced the unsustainability of Reza Pahlevi's government. With this, under the tutelage of the Ayatollah Khomeini, the so-called Iranian Revolution founded a conservative, theocratic State and opposed to Western intervention. In this transitory context, Saddam Hussein waged a war aimed at weakening the political influence of the Shiites and controlling the neighboring nation's rich oil reserves.
After the conflict, which did not establish any kind of gain for either side, religious tutelage continued to guide Iranian political life. In 1997, the election of Mohammad Khatami represented a possibility of reforms that would demobilize the rigors that the religious leadership had inside Iran. However, it was not possible to achieve the transformations that were mainly sought after by women and students.
In 2005, due to the frustrations experienced in the Khatami government, a large evasion of voters allowed the ultra-conservative leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to win the electoral process. In his first term, we observed the intensification of political tensions with the United States, the pretension of the developing a nuclear program and making several controversial statements against Western regimes and the government of Israel.
In 2009, a new election established the dispute between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Mir Hossein Mousavi, who would have a policy of liberal pretensions. Despite polls suggesting a fierce dispute, the election process ended up pointing to a landslide victory for Ahmadinejad, holder of more than 60% of the votes counted. As a result, several protests and denunciations suggest the illegality of the Iranian election process, which was ratified by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's Supreme Leader.
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By Rainer Sousa
Graduated in History
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUSA, Rainer Gonçalves. "Iran's Recent Political History"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historia/a-historia-politica-recente-ira.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
