Since the beginning of Western colonialism, Iran has been an arena in which the colonial powers struggle for gaining more influence. The rivalries between the modern European powers over Iran and the country’s relative weakness, have shaped the history of the struggle of those powers to gain influence in the country.
The outbreak of the industrial revolution and its subsequent developments increased the wealth and power of Western governments and brought vital consequences for other parts of the world, including the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. This phenomenon was mainly reflected in a century of rivalry between Russia and the United Kingdom in Iran. Such rivalry resulted in the creation of a bitter memory and deep hatred of the foreigners in the minds and hearts of the Iranian people, which even today affects the process of policy-making in Iran.
The fact that links the subject of the present study to such memory is the motivation that encouraged the Iranian statesmen to pave the way for the emergence of a third power and provide the ground for the presence of a third party in the political scene in a way that the situation would become more complicated and therefore probably the two old powers who has been interfering in Iran’s affairs for a long time will be prevented from gaining privileges from this country.
From 1935 until three decades later, the United States was the most influential foreign power in Iran. This article is trying to review the causes of the American influence taking the place of the traditional and long-standing influence of the United Kingdom in Iran.
Studying the relations of Iran and the United States over a period of twenty-six years from the 1953 coup to the 1979 Islamic Revolution is of great significance. Historically, this period took place between two major historical events, each of which is of some importance and has an impact. Symbolically, 1953 marks the end of British rule over Iran and the beginning of widespread American influence in this country. Also, 1979 is the time of the decline of American influence and the restoration of Iranian sovereignty after decades of witnessing the influence of great powers.
Iran is in the Sphere of Influence and a Battleground for the Interests of the Great Powers
The beginning of the influence of great Western powers in Iran dates back to their post-medieval imperialism. In the thirteenth century, the Persian Gulf, in the southern part of Iran, was a route through which the Indian and Southeast Asian peninsula trades were partly connected to the Mediterranean basin. It was due to the existence of such a trade route that the ports and cities of the Persian Gulf, including Basrah and Hormuz, have flourished.
Portugal was one of the first Western powers to expand maritime trade in Asia. In 1507, for the first time, the Portuguese forces entered the island of Hormuz. By exerting pressure on the island’s ruler, they forced him along with the people, to pay taxes.
Following the numerous attacks carried out by the Portuguese on Hormuz Island, a treaty was concluded between Iran and Portugal. Under this treaty, Iran recognized Hormuz as a Portuguese colony and this marks the first tracks of the colonization in the southern part of Iran.
Such domination over Hormuz’s commercial and economic affairs continued until the reign of King Abbas I. Eventually, in 1623, the army of King Abbas under the leadership of the Imam-Quli Khan and with the help of the British drove the Portuguese out of the island. The Iranian-British alliance against Portugal in the Persian Gulf may be perceived in the context of the rivalries inside the European continent since they also had expanded to the overseas regions.
In 1660, when the military forces of Oman captured Muscat the Portuguese lost their most important stronghold in the Oman Sea. Thus, the 150 years of Portuguese domination of the Persian Gulf came to an end. With the decline of the domination of Portugal, the United Kingdom, among the great European colonial powers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, gradually gained a strong position in the Indian subcontinent. Soon after, Iran faced a British colonial influence from the southern part and the rivalry between the United Kingdom and other great European powers has turned this country into a battleground for the interests of Western powers especially the United Kingdom and Russia.
Russia’s Influence in Iran
During the reign of Shah Abbas, which coincided with the emergence of imperialism among the powerful Western governments, Iran was powerful enough to defend its territorial integrity against the Western governments.
Iran’s political weakness had started simultaneously with the reign of King Sultan Husayn Safavi.
Mahmoud Afghan invaded Iran and captured Isfahan, the capital of the Safavids. On the other hand, the Russians, who were waiting for such a situation, while observing the severity of Iran’s vulnerability and under the pretext of plundering the Russian merchants’ properties in Yerevan, seized the opportunity and entered the Caucasus region to occupy the area.
Mahmoud Afghan who could not confront the Russians simply succumbed to the Russian invasion and hence in 1724 a treaty was concluded according to which Darband, Baku, Gilan, Mazandaran, and Astrabad were given to Russia. For Tsarist Russia, these territories served as a source of power and the key factors in expanding the influence in the southern frontiers.
But Nader Shah’s reign put an end to Iran’s political weakness and collapse and so the country’s sovereignty was restored in the light of Afsharid’s political authority and military capability.
Among the most influential events of the last two centuries in Iran are the two rounds of the war that occurred between Iran and Russia (1813-1803, 1243-1241, 1218-1228) over the control of the Caucasus region, which led to the defeat of Iran and the conclusion of the Golestan and Turkmenchay treaties. The most important cause of these wars was Russia’s expansionist policies which for centuries have led to the expansion of Russian borders toward the south.
The Russian politicians believed that the rivalry between Russia and Western European powers requires that Russia gain access to the international waters in the southern part of the country, hence Iran and the Persian Gulf as the gateways to India will become important. The expansionist policy of the Russian government was in line with the European states’ colonial policies.
The importance of the first round of war lies with the fact that due to such conflicts Iran was forced to establish relationships, for the first time, not only with Russia but also with the European governments of the United Kingdom and France, and begin to make reforms, especially in military fields.
In fact, Iran sought to unite with other major Western powers to counter the threat of tsarist Russia and, on the other hand, the external pressures forced this country to organize its internal structures so that to increase its military capability for confronting Russia. During the two wars, the influence of Russia in Iran was expanded through using force and military operations. The second round of war between Iran and Russia ended with the conclusion of the Treaty Turkmenchay. According to this agreement, which was signed after Iran’s defeat in the war in South Caucasus and Azerbaijan, some of the territories of the Qajar government in the Caucasus, including Yerevan and Nakhichevan were given to Russia. In addition, Iranian ships lost full rights to navigate all of the Caspian Sea and its coasts and the country promised to pay Russia 10 korur as compensation. Based on this agreement, which ended the Iran-Russia wars in the Qajar era, the Russian government promised to support Abbas Mirza the crown prince, whereas Iran promised to accept commercial treaties with Russia as Russia specified in addition to recognizing the capitulation rights for Russian subjects in Iran.
Since then, Iran has increasingly sought to establish relations with other major powers in an attempt to counter Russian influence. But in Asia, the United Kingdom was more concerned about Russian expansionism across the southern frontiers than any other European power, thereby Iran became a battleground for the interests of Russia and the United Kingdom.
Archive of The Enemies of the Islamic Revolution
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