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Here’s what to read to understand the roots of the crisis between Iran and the US:
January 22, 2020
By Andrew England
One question has dominated the Middle East for months: will the inflamed tensions between the US and Iran trigger yet another war in the region? Concerns soared to new heights this month after an American drone strike killed Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s most powerful military commander, and Tehran responded by firing missiles at US forces in neighbouring Iraq.
This time both protagonists stepped back from the brink. But the region remains on edge. Relations have been strained between US President Donald Trump and the Islamic republic ever since his decision to unilaterally withdraw the US from the nuclear agreement signed with Tehran in 2015 — a move Iran took as further evidence that the west could not be trusted.
IRAN: EMPIRE OF THE MIND
By Michael Axworthy
The author, a former British diplomat, takes the reader on a journey from the ancient era of the Prophet Zoroaster through to the 1979 Islamic revolution to answer the question “who are the Iranians?”. The book ends during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad — the last time Iran was treated as a pariah state.
PATRIOTISM OF PERSIA: MUHAMMAD MOSSADEGH AND A VERY BRITISH COUP
By Christopher de Bellaigue
To fully understand Iranians’ mistrust of the US and the UK in the modern era, look no further than the Anglo-American inspired coup that overthrew Muhammad Mossadegh, Iran’s elected prime minister, in 1953. Rich in detail, this book outlines the struggle over Iran’s oil resources after Mossadegh’s plan to nationalise the sector made him a national hero but also drew the wrath of the UK, for whom control of Iranian oil was crucial to imperial interests.
THE MANTLE OF THE PROPHET: RELIGION AND POLITICS IN IRAN
By Roy Mottahedeh
This tenderly written, thoughtful book was first published in 1985. It provides rare insights into the teachings and lives of the Shia religious class and the events that led up to the 1979 revolution as the author follows a cleric’s progression from student to teacher.
THEN THEY CAME FOR ME
By Maziar Bahari
This is a dramatic and chilling account of the fate of those who fall foul of the regime. When the Iranian journalist returned to Iran from London to cover the 2009 presidential election, he witnessed mass pro-democracy protests after the populist incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad was declared victor despite allegations of fraud. Bahari was among thousands of people arrested by the regime and was tortured and detained for four months.
BLACK WAVE
By Kim Ghattas
Published this month, this new book examines how the 1979 Islamic revolution reverberated across the Middle East. Ghattas, a veteran Middle East reporter, explores how the birth of the theocratic state triggered a bitter rivalry between Sunni Saudi and Shia Iran, which continues to play out today.
It provides a timely reminder that the tensions rippling across the region are not only the result of hostilities between Iran and the west, but also have a dangerous regional dimension.
Source: The Financial Times
January 22, 2020
By Andrew England
One question has dominated the Middle East for months: will the inflamed tensions between the US and Iran trigger yet another war in the region? Concerns soared to new heights this month after an American drone strike killed Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s most powerful military commander, and Tehran responded by firing missiles at US forces in neighbouring Iraq.
This time both protagonists stepped back from the brink. But the region remains on edge. Relations have been strained between US President Donald Trump and the Islamic republic ever since his decision to unilaterally withdraw the US from the nuclear agreement signed with Tehran in 2015 — a move Iran took as further evidence that the west could not be trusted.
IRAN: EMPIRE OF THE MIND
By Michael Axworthy
The author, a former British diplomat, takes the reader on a journey from the ancient era of the Prophet Zoroaster through to the 1979 Islamic revolution to answer the question “who are the Iranians?”. The book ends during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad — the last time Iran was treated as a pariah state.
PATRIOTISM OF PERSIA: MUHAMMAD MOSSADEGH AND A VERY BRITISH COUP
By Christopher de Bellaigue
To fully understand Iranians’ mistrust of the US and the UK in the modern era, look no further than the Anglo-American inspired coup that overthrew Muhammad Mossadegh, Iran’s elected prime minister, in 1953. Rich in detail, this book outlines the struggle over Iran’s oil resources after Mossadegh’s plan to nationalise the sector made him a national hero but also drew the wrath of the UK, for whom control of Iranian oil was crucial to imperial interests.
THE MANTLE OF THE PROPHET: RELIGION AND POLITICS IN IRAN
By Roy Mottahedeh
This tenderly written, thoughtful book was first published in 1985. It provides rare insights into the teachings and lives of the Shia religious class and the events that led up to the 1979 revolution as the author follows a cleric’s progression from student to teacher.
THEN THEY CAME FOR ME
By Maziar Bahari
This is a dramatic and chilling account of the fate of those who fall foul of the regime. When the Iranian journalist returned to Iran from London to cover the 2009 presidential election, he witnessed mass pro-democracy protests after the populist incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad was declared victor despite allegations of fraud. Bahari was among thousands of people arrested by the regime and was tortured and detained for four months.
BLACK WAVE
By Kim Ghattas
Published this month, this new book examines how the 1979 Islamic revolution reverberated across the Middle East. Ghattas, a veteran Middle East reporter, explores how the birth of the theocratic state triggered a bitter rivalry between Sunni Saudi and Shia Iran, which continues to play out today.
It provides a timely reminder that the tensions rippling across the region are not only the result of hostilities between Iran and the west, but also have a dangerous regional dimension.
Source: The Financial Times