Christina Johnson: October 2010 Archives

The United States' relationship with Iran, formerly known as Persia, has been a complex and often dysfunctional one over the decades. In some ways, it's been a love-hate relationship. Average Iranians have a great deal of admiration for average Americans; at one time, Tehran was home to American-style jazz clubs and American movies were commonly shown in local cinemas. Of course, conservative and corporate elements in the U.S. have conveniently forgotten the show of support from the Iranian people in the days after the attacks of 11 September 2001, when thousands of people held candlelight vigils in the streets of the city.