A few days ago I mentioned that there was a possibility that Iran's former reformist President, Mohammed Khatami, may run in that country's upcoming Presidential election in June. Yesterday, Khatami openly announced his intention to run for the office that he held from 1997 to 2005, during which he attempted to make significant alterations to the country's political system...

"He [Khatami] said he decided to seek the presidency in the June 12 vote because it was impossible for someone like himself who was interested in the fate of Iran to remain silent. The 65-year-old liberal cleric said he is "attached to the country's greatness and the people's right to have control over their own fate."

Khatami's sentiments hearken back to those of another Iranian President, Mohammad Mossadeq, who in the 1950's attempted to nationalize Iranian oil in an effort to place the nation's future prosperity in the hands of the Iranian people rather than British oil interests. Of course, Mossadeq was painted a communist by those who stood to lose from the nationalization of the country's oil, leading to his removal in a coup engineered by the CIA and British Intelligence known as Operation Ajax.

Despite Western views regarding Iran, one thing that its people have never forgotten is that it was once a democracy and that the United States and Great Britain were responsible for its destruction. The removal of Mossadeq and the return of the Shah led to decades of autocratic rule that ultimately resulted in the Iranian revolution. Thus, it should never be forgotten that Iran's current political state came into being as a direct result of foreign interference and usury.

The following brief video from JustForeignPolicy.org provides noteworthy background information...