“The U.S.’s enmity against the Iranian nation” is a concept that has existed in the political-social sphere of Iran for over 60 years now. In his recent meeting with university and school students, the Leader of the Revolution referred to the distortion of history with regards to the starting point of the U.S.’s enmity against the Iranian nation. He stated, “Some distort history. The Americans do this. When I was president and went to the UN, a then well-known American journalist interviewed me at the UN. He cited the capture of the American embassy – the Spy Den – as the starting point for the differences between Iran and the US. He said, ‘From the time your youth took over the embassy, conflict between Iran and the U.S. started.’ However, this is a distorted account of history. This is not the case. The conflict between the Iranian nation and the U.S. began on the 28th of Mordad (the coup d’état in Iran) and even before that.” [Nov. 3, 2019] Therefore, Khamenei.ir has listed some of the most important examples of the U.S.’s enmity against the Iranian nation before the takeover of the American embassy (the spy den).
1. The coup d'état on the 28th of Mordad, in 1953
The differences between the Iranian nation and the US began on the 28th of Mordad[19 August 1953] and even before that. On the 28th of Mordad, the differences reached their peak. It was they who behaved in a treacherous and malicious way by making the Iranian nation suffer from a corrupt and dependent regime as a result of a coup d’état. That was not a minor event!
For many years, our country would be trampled upon by the regime which had been installed by the US. So, the starting point for the hostilities was the 28th of Mordad of 1332, it was then [...] They came to the middle of the arena and they launched a coup d’état in an independent country with a national and popular administration which had trusted the Americans – Mosaddeq trusted the Americans and he was punished for that – and they installed a corrupt, malevolent, oppressive and cruel regime. Nov 3, 2019
2. Suppression of student protests to Nixon's visit (December 7, 1953)
It is noteworthy to say that the 16th of Azar of the year 1332[1953] - when three students were murdered in a bloody event - happened almost four months after the 28th of Mordad[Augoust 19th]. That is to say, after the coup d'etat of the 28th of Mordad and after that intense suppression of all forces, this led to an explosion of the students in the University of Tehran. Why did this happen? It was because Nixon, who was the vice-president of America at the time, had come to Iran. Therefore, these students held a strike and demonstration in the environment of the university as a protest to America and Nixon who were the agents of the coup d'etat of the 28th of Mordad. Of course, they were suppressed and three of them were killed. Dec 14, 2008
3. Adoption of the Capitulation Bill (October 13, 1964 / November 4, 1964)
Our dear Imam Khomeini (r.a.), that unique man in our history, stood up against the capitulation proposal and judicial immunity for the Americans, who were in charge of everything at that time. Because of his objection he was exiled out of Iran by the mercenaries of America on the 13th of Aban. On that day when our Imam was exiled, nobody stood by him. Of course, the hearts of the people were with the Imam, but America's mercenaries kidnapped him from his home and exiled him out of Iran on the 13th of Aban[November 4th] in the year 1342 while he was completely alone. Nov 2, 2011
4. Endeavouring to cause the failure of the Islamic Revolution (January 28, 1979)
On the eighth of Bahman[January 28, 1979] – a few days before Imam (r.a.) entered the country. General Huyser, who was America’s agent, came to Iran so that he could maybe save and preserve the regime from the danger of the Revolution. In his memoirs, Huyser writes – this has been recorded in history - “I said to General Gharabaghi, ‘lower your guns in confronting the people.’” it means that you should kill the people and that you should not fire into the air for no reason. Instead, you should massacre the people.
They did the same thing. They lowered their gun barrels and as a result, a number of youth and teenagers were killed, but the crowd did not retreat. Huyser writes, “Later on, Gharabaghi came to me and said, ‘Your order was not effective because it could not make the people move back.’” Huyser then says, “I saw that the Shah’s generals had childish thoughts.” He meant that they should have continued and that they should have killed without any pause. Notice that that regime was a puppet regime. An American general orders an Iranian Arteshbod [Marshall] to massacre his compatriots and he obeys that order and advice. Because it was not effective, he goes to him and says, “It is of no use.” But Huyser says, they are like children and that they think like children. Nov 3, 2015
5. Provoking separatism among ethnic groups (1979-1980)
Since the victory of the Revolution, the US government - both Republican and Democratic Presidents - treated the Islamic Republic unfairly. Everybody knows this. Inciting the few opponents of the Islamic Republic and supporting the separatist groups and terrorist acts were the first measures taken by Americans at the beginning of the Revolution. In every part of the country, in which there was a trace of a separatist movement, we discovered American involvement. Sometimes we could detect their financial support and some other times we could even spot their agents. That caused a lot of harm to our people. Unfortunately, they are still doing the same things. Mar 21, 2009
6. Issuing resolutions against Iran and sheltering the Shah (1980)
In the first months after the victory of the Revolution, the United States Senate issued a strict resolution against the Islamic Republic of Iran, thus beginning its enmity in practice. This was while the U.S. embassy was still open in Iran.
Those people who think that establishing close and friendly relations with America will immunize us against his harm should refer to this historical experience: the U.S. embassy was still open in Iran. The Americans were comfortably coming and going inside the country. The Revolution did not cause the Americans to leave Iran. Like other governments, they had an embassy. They had certain agents and officials. They were living peacefully in Iran, but at that time, the U.S. government showed its enmity towards the Revolution. Besides, it hosted Mohammad Reza who was the definite enemy of the people of Iran. They took and kept him in America. In fact, they gave refuge to the enemy of the people of Iran. Nov 3, 2015
7. Turning the embassy into a center for espionage and conspiracy (the 60s and 70s)
The first political system and government that began to act against our people was America [...] Well, the response and reaction to this move was the move that was made by students. They went and captured the U.S. embassy and it became clear that that embassy was a Den of Espionage. It became clear in the first months after the victory of the Revolution that that place was a center of hatching plots against the Revolution. This was shown and proved through the documents that were published later on from inside the U.S. embassy. Dear youth, you should find and read the documents related to the Den of Espionage because they are instructive [...] These documents show that whether during the peak of the revolutionary movement or when the movement and the Revolution became victorious and the Islamic Republic was formed, they were constantly hatching plots against the Islamic Republic. This is America! These issues are related to post-revolutionary issues.
