According to this video by JustforeignPolicy.org, Iran once was a democracy. Until a foreign power crushed that democracy in 1953.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJRcOF7rEfQ[/youtube]
The take-away message from this video: it doesn’t have to be the way it is currently portrayed to be between Iran and the U.S.
The history of relations between the United States and Iran has been marked by misunderstanding and mistrust shaped by the unjust use of violence and threats of violence. Violent conflict has not served the interests of either country. Military threats have only deepened the hostilities and resentment and this makes future conflict more likely. Serious diplomacy between our two countries is urgently needed.
If you can bear to review all of the covert regime changes the U.S. has forced, check out this Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_U.S._regime_c…
Stephen Kinzer, being interviewed by Amy Goodman regard the U.S. interference in Iran in 1953:
For the full interview, visit DemocracyNow.org