Pol300 Social Political Review Week 9

Running Head: THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF A US MILITARY INVASION OF IRAN

The Global Impact of a US Military Invasion of Iran

Strayer University

The Global Impact of a US Military Invasion of Iran

The Iran relationship with the United States has been a hot topic of international discussion for some time. This was even before the discord in relationships developed. Iran was an ally of the United States under the regime of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, also known as the Shah of Iran. This relationship was not highly favored because of Iran’s knowingly oppressive regimes. Despite disfavor, the United States and Iran remained allies until 1979 with the introduction of a new radical regime under Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini led a nationalist revolution in 1979 and seized hostages at the US Embassy for 444 days. This chain of events obviously signaled the end of an Iranian ally. In 1980, the United States military rallied with Iraqi military and Saddam Hussein in a war against Iran. At the end of the eight-year long war, Hussein then decided to invade Kuwait, with the misconception that he would have the support of the US. This invasion ignited the Gulf War between Iraq and the US. The relationship between Iraq and the US did not begin to show signs of recovery until the Al Qaeda terrorist attack on the United States. The United States blamed both Iran and Iraq but actually invaded Iraq in 2003. With the eventual expulsion of Saddam Hussein, the US government has been able to establish a, somewhat, friendly regime in Iraq. US soldiers still heavily occupy Iraqi soil and aid the Iraqi’s in their constant war against Iran and other hostile parties. The main question is, why did the US not invade Iran, just as it invaded Iraq, if it suspected both played a role in the 9-11 terrorist attacks? The answer may be that the United States does recognize that Iran would be a much more formidable opponent in war, in comparison to the feeble country of Iraq. An...