Coup That Sullied American Image In Iran
Sameer Arshad Khatlani Follow on Facebook I ran had valiantly fended off US-backed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s invasion for eight years until July 1988 when Americans downed a civilian aircraft to deal a death blow to the resistance. All 290 civilians aboard the plane met their watery graves in the Persian Gulf . The tragedy turned out to be the last straw, convincing Tehran that the US was now openly siding with Saddam. The fear coupled with Saddam's use of chemical weapons prompted Iran to accept an UN-brokered ceasefire in September 1988. But Iranians could hardly breathe easy after the end of the 20th century’s longest war that is estimated to have killed around a million. Along with the consequences of the conflict, Iran faced crippling American sanctions following the post-revolution seizure of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979 and the captivity of American diplomats. The 444-day hostage crisis has remained etched in the American memory and defined its hostility tow