It can be safely said, because it is true, that the past is the father of the present, and the present is the father of the future. It can also be said, that the past is the grandfather of the future. This is very true for a country called Persia, today known as the modern state of Iran. It is a big country in south West Asia with a population of around 82 million people and occupying an area of around 1.6 million square kilometers. I will address the nation of Iran from the time of Dr. Mossadegh to present.

Dr. Mossadegh was overthrown in 1953 by the C.I.A. because he nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. He was an economic nationalist, hence, he had to be overthrown. In 1945, the US inherited the non communist portion of the Earth. US foreign policy was very strongly anti-communist. The US wanted to make sure that the Middle East did not go communist. The three countries that mattered the most in Middle East were Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The foreign policy of the US in the Middle East was as follows: Israel gets whatever Israel wants, and Iran, Saudi Arabia do whatever the US wants. The majority of Iranians did not want such a policy. During the Yum Kippur War of 1973 in which Israel would have been defeated had it not been for American help, President Nixon rushed supplies to Israel or Golda Meir threatened nuclear or “Sampson option”. Yes, Israel has nuclear weapons and a delivery system that can reach any point on the Earth…

President Nixon defaulted on gold and told Iran and Saudi Arabia to increase the price of oil and that it had to be sold for dollars. The dollar then became the official currency of the world and the US achieved immense power. As one character in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” says: “You control the cash box and you control the World.” Not quite, for there are always exceptions to man made rules. There can never be violations of Nature’s Laws. He, who violates Nature’s Laws, sooner or later gets punished for it. Nemesis is always waiting. The Shah was overthrown in 1979, and the Islamic Republic was proclaimed by Imam Khomeini; Independent Iran was born. President Carter froze or nationalized one hundred billion dollars of Iranian assets in the US. Whether the US will return those assets remains to be seen.

Threats, sanctions, and embargoes against Iran followed. The excuses: Iran will develop nuclear weapons, Iran will destroy Israel, etc., etc.  But Iran continued to develop on its own.  And another truth will be stated here: self sustaining development is the true development. Do not depend on the promises of others. People, countries, individuals who believe in the promises of others become enslaved in the most devious and insidious ways possible. Just look at the countries of Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America, and some parts of Asia.

The world is coalescing. Iran and Russia are becoming strategic partners. Their foreign, economic, and military policy is becoming co-ordinated. Most likely, their common policy will triumph in the Middle East. They will restore stability to Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon to the chagrin of Israel and the US. The sanctions and embargoes have failed. The Islamic Republic of Iran is restoring its former glory as Persia under the founder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great. The past is the grand father of the future. Only time will tell.