Iranian Revolution Middle East Cold War

 Conservative, Liberal, Religious, Secular  Increasing westernization and secularization  Cultural pollution  Overambitious economic reforms  Economic decline following 1973 oil boom  Oppressive extravagant regime  SAVAK  Underestimation of the Khomeinist movement

 Advertised as implementing Western reforms  Aimed to strengthen the upper classes who supported the Monarchy, Gain support of the peasantry Weaken middle class influence  1963national referendum: 5,598,711 for 4,115 against  Land Reform: 90% of sharecroppers become land owners  Privatisation of Government industry  Free Education, Extended Health Services, Welfare, Improve Literacy Rates, Women’s Suffrage, Housing Equality, Nationalisation for Forest Land,, Price Stabalisation

 Jalal Al-e Ahmed, Gharbzadegi (Westoxification)  velayat e faqih government should be run in accordance with traditional sharia, for this to happen a leading jurist must provide political "guardianship“  "more necessary even than prayer and fasting“  Quietist Shi’ism vs Activist Shi’ism  Martyrdom  "export of revolution does not mean interfering in other nation's affairs“ but "answering their questions about knowing God“  "Establishing the Islamic state world-wide belong to the great goals of the revolution."

 Feb 1, Khomeini in Tehran  'I shall kick their teeth in. I appoint the government in support of this nation‘  Supreme Military Council "neutral”  Feb 11, Victory Day

 protect the Revolution  Preventing foreign intervention, military coupe, border security  125K guards 90K Basiji militia  Quds Force, special forces unconventional warfare roles providing assistance and training to various organizations around the world

 Formed in 1982 Response to Israeli invasion  Trained by 1500, IRGC Forces in the Bekaa  1992 The State within the State,Seats in Parliament, TV broadcasts and Military wing  Social Services operates at least four hospitals, twelve clinics, twelve schools and two agricultural centres

 King Abdullah II, “If pro-Iranian parties or politicians dominate the new Iraqi government a new crescent of dominant Shia movements or governments stretching from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon could emerge.”

 Revolutionary Bloc; Hezbollah, Syrian Govt, Bahrain  Status Quo Bloc; Saudi, Jordan, Qatar, UAE, Egypt  Unaligned; Turkey,  Proxy Conflicts: Syria, Iraq, Yemen

 Salafi anti al Assad groups  Yemen Government  Bahrain Government  Fatah al Sisi in Egypt  Iraqi Sunni

 Bashar al Assad  Bahrain Shia  Shia militias Iraq  Iraq government  Hezbollah  Houthi Shia

 Turkey: Support for Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, opposed to al Assad  Kurdish Question  Israel, tentatively pro Saudi  United States, pro Saudi  Pakistan, Pro Saudi  Russia, pro al Assad, Iran  China, seeks to maintain stability

 Bahrain  Egypt  Syria/ Iraq  Lebanon  Yemen  Afghanistan