When President Jimmy Carter took office in January 1977, he inherited a unique relationship with the shah of Iran, who had been returned to his throne by a U.S.-British covert action and who had accepted the role of protecting U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf. The shah had some of the most sophisticated arms in the U.S. inventory.
When the monarchy was overthrown, the United States and other countries in the world got their first real introduction to radical political Islam, not only during the revolution against the shah but also in the 444-day captivity of American diplomats in Tehran. That experience shaped the U.S. relationship with Iran for decades thereafter.
The Algiers Accords ending the hostage crisis returned only a fraction of Iranâ??s frozen assets. It created a claims tribunal that settled hundreds of U.S. claims against Tehran. Those costs, plus Iranâ??s alienation from much of the world, suggests the hostage model is not likely to be repeated.
The Carter administrationâ??s effort to build an independent military capability in the Gulf established the initial framework that was completed by its successors.
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