Ahlul Bayt (AS) News Agency - ABNA: This is the only post that anyone needs to read on Iran, the United States, and forty years of history. The reader should trust me on this, because I have gone through this story deeply, piece by piece, and timeline by timeline. What I am sharing here is not surface-level noise; rather, it is built on facts, history, and the way things actually unfolded over decades. So here is how I see it.
Before 1979, before the Iranian Revolution took place, Iran was almost completely under Western influence — especially that of the United States — and this was largely because of oil. Everything worked on Western terms. The leadership, the policies, and the direction of the country were all aligned with what the West wanted. At the center of this system was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. And in order to maintain that control internally, there was an agency called SAVAK, which was created by the CIA. This was not just any agency. It was the Shah's secret police, built with support from United States intelligence, and it controlled the people through surveillance, fear, arrests, and suppression.
Now, let us think about this for a moment. When a system operates like this for years — where everything is externally influenced and internally controlled — what happens in the end? The answer is that people eventually push back. And that is exactly what led to the turning point.
Then the Iranian Revolution happened in 1979. The Shah's rule ended. Iran decided to break away from Western control, and the rebellion turned into a full system change. However, here is the part that most people do not understand. Just because the revolution took place, it does not mean that everything changed overnight. SAVAK was officially dismantled — yes, that is true — but its networks, its methods, and its influence did not simply disappear in a single day.
And then things became even more intense. Between 1980 and 1988, during the Iran-Iraq war, Iran was not merely fighting an external enemy. In fact, the country was dealing with foreign pressure, internal instability, the remnants of old control systems, and the challenge of survival as a newly independent state. This is where everything changed at a much deeper level. The Iranian people became more united than ever before, because the struggle was no longer just about politics. It was about survival. It was about identity. And it was about making sure that they would never go back to being controlled by outside powers again.
Since that time, what we observe today is not new. This is not a recent conflict. On the contrary, it has been going on for more than forty years — on and off, and in different forms.
Now, here is another layer to consider. Iran today is not merely a country in the political sense; it is also the center of Shia identity on a global level. In a world where Shias constitute a minority, Iran stands as their strongest representation. Therefore, from the Iranian perspective, this struggle is not only about borders. It is about identity. And it is about having a place in the world.
Then comes the political angle. There has always been an idea that the United States would prefer to see a regime in Iran that aligns with American interests once again. The name that keeps coming up in this context is Reza Pahlavi, who is the son of the former ruler and is now living in exile.
But here is the part that is personal for me. I studied in a Catholic school, and I grew up around a large number of Muslims. Later, I realized that a few of them were Shia, especially the Bohras. To be honest, they were some of the most calm, kind, and grounded people that I have ever encountered. There was no aggression and no noise — just simple people living their lives, and they were mostly wealthy, particularly in India. Therefore, when I connect everything together — history on one side and personal experience on the other — it causes me to look at this entire situation differently.
Because beyond politics and media narratives, what I see is the following: a country that was controlled, a country that pushed back, a country that broke out, and a country that chose to stand on its own terms. At the same time, it is a country that is trying to ensure that Shias have a strong place and a strong voice in the world. Of course, anyone can agree or disagree with specific policies, governments, or ideologies — that is a separate debate altogether. However, standing one's ground for more than forty years after everything that this country has endured, and doing so against a giant like the United States, is absolutely commendable.
And from the perspective that I have laid out here, that is exactly why I support Iran. Finally, I should add that I have also become a fan of @s_m_marandi.
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