Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan

The Shahs of Iran  1925-Iran’s first shah  made many changes to modernize Iran  Many thought the Shah was corrupt

The Islamic Revolution in Iran  1979-Islamic Revolution  Ayatollah Khomeini took over. The shah had to flee.  Ayatollahs, religious leaders, ruled according to Islamic law.  Iranians are Shi’a Muslims.  Western influences wiped from the country.  Women had to wear the chador, a long black cloak.  Iran supported revolutions in other Shi’a countries.  -Khomeini died in 1989.

War Between Iraq and Iran  -In 1980, Saddam Hussein of Iraq took over a border area of Iran.  War started between Iraq and Iran for eight years.  Hussein and his government were Sunni.  1983-Iran reported Iraqi use of chemical weapons  (The Geneva protocol requires that the international community respond to chemical warfare)

Saddam Hussein’s Use of Chemical Weapons  In Iraq, Hussein targeted Shi’a Muslims.  Saddam used chemical weapons on the Kurds, killing approx. 70,000

Saddam and the Shi’a  Iraqi women visit the shrine of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in the southern Iraqi city of Karbala.  In 1996, Mithal Ali was taken from his home in Nasiryah, Iraq, by order of Hussein. In April, his family learned his fate: execution and burial alongside 700 other political prisoners in Abu Grahib, Iraq.

Saddam and Kuwait  1990 he invaded Kuwait  This provoked the Persian Gulf War.

Invasion of Iraq  The United States invaded Iraq in  claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction  Saddam Hussein was removed from power.  War ended in 2011

Afghanistan  Oppression of women by the Taliban--women had to be fully veiled (burqa), no longer allowed to work, go out alone or even wear white socks. Men were forced to grow beards.  The Taliban got rid of most poppy production in the year The collapse of the economy in 2001 led to the replanting of many fields.  British tried to take over in 1800s and  Soviet Union invaded in  withdrew in  Taliban took over  The U.S. invaded in 2001 in response to the Sept. 11 attack on the Twin Towers.  removed the Taliban from power  Hamid Karzai elected president in 2004

Iran Today  Iran’s highest authority Supreme Leader, is an Ayatollah  The president is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  Iran accused of making nuclear weapons  Has threatened to attack Israel  Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz