Washington and the Iranian Elections

Many voices in the Iranian opposition now protesting the increasingly bogus looking election results have called for a show of support from the United States. Bad idea.

Outreach now by Washington to the Iranian opposition would conjure memories of 1953, when the United States whipped up street crowds as part of a successful coup to overthrow Mohammed Mosaddeq. Any suggestion that the Iranian opposition is in league with the United States would damage the movement’s standing in the eyes of average Iranians who are growing disenchanted with the current government but still wary of the United States for historical reasons.

If Iranian oppositionists and reformers hope to make gains now or in the future against the ruling ayatollahs, they must stand on their own in this moment. There is no support the White House could offer that would help their cause.

The Ghost of Mosaddeq

Anyone pleasantly surprised to see Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad genuinely struggling in the ongoing elections should take a moment to thank the late Mohammed Mosaddeq, one of Iran’s greatest democrats and a bitter foe of the United States.

Mosaddeq perhaps more than any other figure in modern Iranian history showed how a combination of populist energy and sophisticated politicking behind closed doors can deal major blows even to a powerful government unafraid to steal elections. That vibrant political legacy is on display now in the various forms of opposition mounting against Ahmadinejad, who may indeed still prevail even so.

For a great book on Mosaddeq’s rise and fall, read All the Shah’s Men by Stephen Kinzer. And for those looking to understand the complicated internal political machinations of Iran, the Persian Puzzle by Kenneth Pollack is a thorough and lively overview worth picking up.