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Article: Iran's nuclear program and the future of U.S.-Iranian relations.
- Article from:
- Middle East Policy
- Article date:
- March 22, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Middle East Policy Council. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Due to its geopolitical prominence, Iran has been the focus of great-power policies during the entire course of modern history. The Russian-British rivalry over Iran that began in the mid-1800's lasted a century. With the end of World War II, Britain's role in the region diminished, and the vacuum was filled by the United States.
Iran gained full sovereignty over its territory by 1947. Two major factors shaped U.S. policy on Iran in the post-war period. First, Iran's geopolitical significance made it even more important for the United States to contain the USSR on its southern flank. (1) Second, Iran possessed rich oil and gas resources. (2) In order to control ...