ABSTRACT
The Truman administration viewed postwar British involvement in Iran, which was strongly influenced by the British-dominated Anglo-Iran Oil Company (AIOC), from an anti-colonialist perspective, and Iranian leaders continued to believe that the US could serve as a hedge against British pressure. Just as with pre-revolutionary China and Cuba, US policy in Iran from the 1950s until the Islamic revolution prioritized US economic and strategic interests over the welfare of the average Iranian. During the years after World War II, Iran and other historically Islamic states in the broader Middle East focused on state identity and state building, marginalizing traditional religious influence. The possibility that Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will produce additional opportunities for US-Iranian cooperation was illustrated by the January 2016 Iranian release of four detained Americans in exchange for the US dropping charges against seven Iranians convicted for violating sanctions.
