June 19, 2013
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The week's top five must-sees,
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Description
Today, there are no formal diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States. Due to poor relations between the two countries, instead of exchanging ambassadors Iran maintains an interests section at the Pakistani embassy in Washington, D.C. , while the United States has maintained an interests section at the Swiss embassy in Tehran. Relations between the two nations began in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. Initially, while Iran was very wary of British and Russian colonial interests during the Great Game, the United States was seen as a more trustworthy Western power, and the Americans Arthur Millspaugh and Morgan Shuster were even appointed treasurers-general by the Shahs of the time. During World War II, Iran was invaded by the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, both US allies, but relations continued to be positive after the war until the later years of the government of Mohammad Mossadeq, who was overthrown by a coup organized by MI6 and aided by the CIA. This was followed by an era of close alliance between Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's regime and the American government, which was in turn followed by a dramatic reversal and hostility between the two countries after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Opinions differ over what has caused the decades of poor relations. Iranian explanations include everything from the natural and unavoidable conflict between the Islamic Revolution on the one hand, and American arrogance and desire for global hegemony on the other. Other explanations include the Iranian government's need for an external bogeyman to furnish a pretext for domestic repression against pro-democratic forces and to bind the government to its loyal constituency. American fears that Iran is developing nuclear weapons have been a major militating factor in relations since shortly after the revolution. Since 1995, the United States has had an embargo on trade with Iran.
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![Obama convinces Netanyahu to allow time for Iran sanctions [IBA, Israel]](/images/image_cache/base-576000/576138/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=aa012dc50e01ef7bf2f0fb24a3a23a24)
![Iran shrugs off latest US sanctions [BBC Arabic, UK]](/images/image_cache/base-516000/516171/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=8c223eb470fa27eddd1805e763410c8e)
![Obama calls for diplomatic solution with Iran [Al-Alam, Iran]](/images/image_cache/base-486000/486831/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=1c843e7d394d4111732f2d187ff79726 "Members of the Iranian army's air force re-enact the scene of founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's arrival to Iran in 1979 at Merhrabad airport, in Tehran February 1, 2012: REUTERS/Handout")
![Document reveals NYPD's religion-based policing eyed Shiites [BBC Arabic, UK]](/images/image_cache/base-459000/459908/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=c3a42238d5d3f6fb7fd79d122ea05049)
![Iran dismisses Obama's war threats as election propaganda [Press TV, Iran]](/images/image_cache/base-316000/316307/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=b4d21505df97f0607b4b60d7e1b4a8d1)
![EU imposes oil embargo against Iran [Al Jazeera, Qatar]](/images/image_cache/base-313000/313817/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=854426fb8090eed863183cac772311cb "The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which passed through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Gulf without incident on Sunday: REUTERS/US Navy/Chief Mass Communication Specialist Eric S Powell/Handout")