to the editor: Thanks, columnist LZ Granderson, for the history lesson on Iran (“Reliving a colonial and exploitative history in Venezuela and Iran” March 7), some of which I knew, some I didn't. I knew that the United States helped overthrow Iran's democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, in 1953. I didn't know it was because of the greed of the oil companies; They were not willing to split profits 50-50 with Iran (what Mossadegh wanted) even though the oil companies had already agreed to a 50-50 split with Saudi Arabia.
The broader point the column illustrates is the importance of historical context in understanding current events. The Iranian takeover of the American embassy in 1979 is easier to understand when you know that, in 1953, the United States removed its prime minister to install a monarch subordinate to the United States. Likewise, President Trump's 2018 withdrawal from a deal President Obama negotiated with Iran is what limited UN inspections that could have prevented dangerous Iranian nuclear developments. In other words, if Trump had not withdrawn from that deal eight years ago, there may be no need to attack Iran now to prevent an Iranian nuclear threat.
Trump appears to believe that his current military strike will “solve” the Iranian problem. But the effects of Trump's attack certainly won't end when he decides to stop the bombing. The history between the United States and Iran suggests that we will live with the negative consequences of the current US attack for years or even decades.
Drew Davis, Redondo Beach
