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The Iran Policy of the Carter Administration

Triggering a Revolution and Reaping a Whirlwind

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Navigating Iran

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Abstract

Iran’s importance to the United States during the Cold War was well established. As a major oil exporter sitting atop the strategic Shatt al-Arab passage and a pro-Western country among volatile or left-leaning regimes, Iran— with Saudi Arabia—formed the “twin pillars” of American policy. Mindful of Iran’s importance, consecutive Washington administrations pushed the shah to modernize his country, a measure that was also designed to promote stability.

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Notes

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© 2012 Ofira Seliktar

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Seliktar, O. (2012). The Iran Policy of the Carter Administration. In: Navigating Iran. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137010889_2

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