# What gripes do Iranians have with the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 6, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557 "2009-11-06T13:12:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/1 "2009-11-06T13:12:09Z")
In all of the tense non-conflicts we have going on around the world, where there is worry that real conflict might break out, there are always things that we Americans don’t know or understand about how they view us. It usually has to do with something the US did in the past that we’ve forgotten, but they haven’t. I got to thinking about that when I stumbled upon information about [Flight 655](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655), which I had never heard of before. I got to thinking that most Americans probably don’t know anything about this, but most Iranians probably haven’t forgotten. I could probably do this with many countries, but since Iran is the non-conflict du jour, I’m going to stick with it. I want to see the US from the Iranian perspective. What are the issues and events that most Americans don’t think of when they consider our attempts of late to reconcile with Iran? What issues are clear in the Iranian psyche, but mostly forgotten on our side. The overthrow of Mosaddeq is probably the most obvious answer. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/2 "2009-11-06T13:29:49Z")
I’m not an expert in this, but the U.S. support of Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War should probably be on the list. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/3 "2009-11-06T13:34:50Z")
I know [United States support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq war](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_support_for_Iraq_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war) was a big “gripe” (more like “[grippe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_support_for_Iraq_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war#Chemical_and_Biological_exports)”! lol, I kill myself…) ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/4 "2009-11-06T13:39:53Z")
U.S. support of the Shah (deposed in 1979) would be another factor. ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/5 "2009-11-06T13:50:58Z")
My vote is for the Shah, it starts there. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/6 "2009-11-06T14:12:21Z")
We are also an ally of Israel. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/7 "2009-11-06T14:20:34Z")
I have a few Iranian friends (the kind that travel back to the country to visit family), all of them tell me the same story: current Iranian govt sucks and is supported only by a subset of the population. They typically complain about the jerks with guns (miltary/police/not sure name) that push people around at the airport and other places. So, when you ask “what gripes do Iranians have with US”, it depends on what you mean by “Iranians”, the govt in power or the majority of the population? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/8 "2009-11-06T14:23:50Z")
1. Ally of Israel 2. Support of the Shah 3. Failure to continue payments to certain mullahs under Carter 4. Overthrow of a democratically elected government and reinstallation of the shah in 1953 at the request of the Brits to protect their oil industry in Iran 5. Support of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war 6. Labeled ‘Axis of Evil’ during GWB’s term 7. Flight 655 8. Continuing sort-of trade embargo Really, if you’re looking at it from their perspective what’s not to be annoyed about? The funny thing is that Iran might well be the most westernized middle-eastern society. I’ve known a great number of Iranians since I was about 10 or so (my mother’s second husband is from Tehran) and those that I have known, both before and after the revolution, have been easy-going people who have little trouble in the US either as immigrants or visitors. Universally they speak of how little they have in common, back home, with the rest of the Islamic hardliners. They speak of having little power politically but are more concerned that the lattes and blue jeans keep flowing. They’re constantly trying to correct interpretations of their nation as ideological religious fanatics. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/9 "2009-11-06T14:25:04Z")
A lot of these have been already mentioned, but: 1. Flight 655 2. The Iran-Iraq war 3. We shot up a bunch of Iranian oil platforms in the 80s. 4. We’ve been screwing around in their country for many many years. The Shah was just one part of it. 5. We’ve been screwing around in the middle east in general for many many years. It’s not even our land. We should just stay in America (according to the Iranians and many other middle-easterners). 6. (which relates to 4 above) We’re a bunch of greedy fucks who only care about oil. We are so evil that we don’t even care who we have to hurt and kill to get our oil. 7. We support Israel. 8. We’re anti-muslim. And we’re evil. We don’t believe in the right god (which is kind of funny because an Iranian friend of mine pointed out that we do believe in the same god - it’s other parts of our religions that differ) 9. We are all a bunch of Jews. At least that’s what a lot of middle-eastern propaganda says about us. Apparently a lot of these guys have ever checked to see that we’re actually predominantly a Christian country. As far as they are concerned, we support Israel, we’re Jews. After all, the Jews control all of the money and power in the world and oppress the righteous muslims. To be fair, a lot of Iranians are smart enough to know that the last few bits aren’t true, but you asked where the hate is coming from, and misinformation like that is a part of the hate that is being spread. ETA: (Heh - didn’t mean to start a list right after Jonathan - his post wasn’t there when I started typing) ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/10 "2009-11-06T14:49:01Z")
In 1953, we used the CIA to destabilize a democratically elected government and install the Shah, ushering in a repressive regime and setting back democracy in the Middle East. Link [1953 Iranian coup d'état - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat) ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/11 "2009-11-06T14:55:30Z")
Chicken fried steak. At least thats what my Persian girlfriend says. In all honesty, she says that almost everyone over in Iran like Americans, just the government is douchy. She won’t go back right now because she is afraid of being arrested, due to her mother being related to the Shah. ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/12 "2009-11-06T15:03:35Z")
Don’t think it helps the country has been pretty much surrounded on ground, air and sea by US forces/battle groups for years. Plus that leading US politicians paint Iran as some evil place it’s going to invade next: [http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CRG502A.html](http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CRG502A.html) Also, the US has demonstrated a keen acquisitory interest in countries sitting on vast oil reserves. Then there’s the 8, 9 or 10 reasons already listed above. Apart from that, nothing at all. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/13 "2009-11-06T15:16:36Z")
Don’t listen to them. Everyone knows that they just feel threatened by our freedom and happiness. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/14 "2009-11-06T15:28:15Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > In 1953, we used the CIA to destabilize a democratically elected government and install the Shah, ushering in a repressive regime and setting back democracy in the Middle East. Link [1953 Iranian coup d'état - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat) It’s amazing how many people in the US don’t know this. 100% of Iranians know it happened. ---
**Author:** ![muchmark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/41988e/32.png) [@muchmark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muchmark)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/15 "2009-11-06T15:42:44Z")
I don’t think the Iranians ever forgot the American and British engineered the coup d’état against the government of Mohammed Mosaddeq. > **[Mohammad Mosaddegh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Mosaddeq)** > > Mohammad Mosaddegh\[a\] (Persian: محمد مصدق, IPA: \[mohæmˈmæd(-e) mosædˈdeɢ\] i;\[b\] 16 June 1882 – 5 March 1967) was an Iranian politician, author, and lawyer who served as the 35th Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, after appointment by the 16th Majlis. He was a member of the Iranian parliament from 1923, and served through a contentious 1952 election into the 17th Iranian Majlis, until his government was overthrown in the 1953 Iranian coup d'état aided by the intelligence agencies o Bef... ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/16 "2009-11-06T16:01:57Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > I have a few Iranian friends (the kind that travel back to the country to visit family), all of them tell me the same story: current Iranian govt sucks and is supported only by a subset of the population. They typically complain about the jerks with guns (miltary/police/not sure name) that push people around at the airport and other places. > > So, when you ask “what gripes do Iranians have with US”, it depends on what you mean by “Iranians”, the govt in power or the majority of the population? I think you need to know that the type of Iranians that are able do this (live abroad and travel back) are also a small subset of the population. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/17 "2009-11-06T16:04:09Z")
All the stuff listed above is pertinent, but for all of the Middle East, add one consideration that’s ongoing, not just from the past: The US throws its weight around politically and economically like a superpowered bully. We do this because it’s good for the US, and because we think we know what’s good for everyone else, too. It’s tough to get anything that touches on international policy done if you don’t take the US into consideration, whether your populace generally approves of the US or not. This is not endearing. Some politicians (and other people) genuinely resent the US for this, while others recognize the political profit to be made by posing as the underdog. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/18 "2009-11-06T16:11:33Z")
When Bush declared an “axis of evil” which included Iran, and then attacked Iraq one of the member countries, it certainly made them distrustful. Most think if Iraq went easy, he would have continued into Iran. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/19 "2009-11-06T16:11:41Z")
A good source to read to find why Iranians might have difficulties with the U.S. is [Persepolis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persepolis_%28comics%29) by Marjane Satrapi – which has also been made into a movie that I haven’t seen. Ms Satrapi is an Iranian expat living in France, so she certainly has no love for the current Iranian government, but her books give you a good sense of the different political issues in Iran, and how the U.S. has done its best to make things worse. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557/20 "2009-11-08T23:09:04Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > A good source to read to find why Iranians might have difficulties with the U.S. is [Persepolis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persepolis_%28comics%29) by Marjane Satrapi – which has also been made into a movie that I haven’t seen. Ms Satrapi is an Iranian expat living in France, so she certainly has no love for the current Iranian government, but her books give you a good sense of the different political issues in Iran, and how the U.S. has done its best to make things worse. I’ve been meaning to read/watch that for quite some time. I’m going to check netflix. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gripes-do-iranians-have-with-the-us/516557.md?page=2)