Pond’s Letter at Odds With Reality
I read with considerable interest the letter written by Mr. John Pond on the Islamic Republic of Iran (5/14/26 issue).
Although I do not consider myself an expert on the history of Iran, I have some familiarity with the general history of the Middle East. While I believe that everyone has the right to their own opinions, I also believe that no one has the right to their own facts, in consequence I found many of the statements in the published letter to be at odds with the reality of that country’s historical development.
The writer creates the illusion that the late Shah was both a popular and enlightened ruler, while the historical reality is at odds with that assumption. A brief history of the Shah’s ascent to be head of state and his actions in that capacity belie the idea that he was a benevolent and popular ruler.
The reality is that he was placed on the throne by outside forces in direct opposition to the will of the population, replacing a popular nationalist and reform minded, democratically elected leader, Mohammed Mossadegh, who wanted to bring an end to foreign exploitation of Iran’s resources. This brought him and his ideas into conflict with the British ownership and control of the country’s oil industry. On a number of occasions the British government asked the Truman administration for assistance in removing Mossadegh from power. It wasn’t until the Eisenhower Administration that the CIA was brought into play, and a coup d’etat was orchestrated bringing the Mossadegh government to an end and restoring the unpopular Pahlavi Dynasty which had previously been overthrown.
Over the next 25 years The Shah’s rule became increasingly repressive, made use of a secret police network, made use of torture, and summary arrest of dissidents.
It was these conditions that led to the exile and eventual return of Ayatollah Khomeini and the eventual establishment of the present theocratic government which rules Iran today.
There is some speculation that the seizure of the American Embassy and captivity of American diplomats was a result of the fear that America was planning, once again, to restore the Shah to power. That fear gained credence when President Carter allowed the Shah, prior to his death, to come to the United States for medical care
In the years since the hostage situation, the United States has looked upon the Iranian government as an undesirable entity. During the brutal Iran-Iraq War, which resulted in over a million dead, it not only assisted Iraq with weapons but with intelligence as well.
Given the history of America’s involvement is it no wonder that the Iranian Government encourages the war cry “Death to America!”
Micheal P. Lombardo, Fairhaven
•••
Click here to download the 5/21/26 issue: 05-21-26 Encampment
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News with PayPal
