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Reza Shah Pahlavi lived from October 16, 1919 to July 27, 1980.  He was the [[shah]] of [[Iran]], after the Soviet Union (who had invaded Iran in World War 2) pressured his father to abdicate in 1941. After the overthrow of the elected government in 1953, Pahlavi was one of two "twin pilars" in Persian Gulf region as part of a collective security arrangements with [[NATO]] during the Cold War.  In 1955 the Shah was one of the signatories of the [[Baghdad which united the "northern tier" countries of [[Turkey]], [[Iraq]], Iran, and [[Pakistan]], in a military alliance with [[Great Britain]] called the Baghdad Pact, and later the [[Central Treaty Organization]] (CENTO).

Reza Shah Pahlavi lived from October 16, 1919 to July 27, 1980.  He was the [[shah]] of [[Iran]], after the Soviet Union (who had invaded Iran in World War II) pressured his father to abdicate in 1941.  

 

In 1955 the Shah was one of the signatories of the [[Baghdad Pact]] which united the "northern tier" countries of [[Turkey]], [[Iraq]], Iran, and [[Pakistan]], in a military alliance with [[Great Britain]] called the Baghdad Pact, and later the [[Central Treaty Organization]] (CENTO).

 

In 1968 Great Britain announced withdrawal from "East of Suez" in 1968 and completed in 1971    Iran under the Shah had taken Great Britain's place as the military power that guaranteed stability in the Persian Gulf.  Rather than replace the British presence “East of Suez” to secure shipping lanes with a direct American presence, the United States chose to rely on local powers, primarily Iran and Saudi Arabia, to provide Persian Gulf security.  This "two-pillar policy" worked reasonably well until one of the pillar, Iran, collapsed in 1979.  The downfall of the Shah was a harbinger of stunningly ominous events.

The Shah did not participate in the Arab oil embargos of 1967 and  1973, recognized [[Isreal]], provided oil for US and British Mediterranean Fleets, detereed Iraq under [[Sadam Hussein]] from playing a role in the [[Yom Kippur War]] when he moved troops to the Iraqi border and gave covert support to the [[Kurds]] in Iraq which tied diverted the Iraqi Army.

The Shah did not participate in the Arab oil embargos of 1967 and  1973, recognized [[Isreal]], provided oil for US and British Mediterranean Fleets, detereed Iraq under [[Sadam Hussein]] from playing a role in the [[Yom Kippur War]] when he moved troops to the Iraqi border and gave covert support to the [[Kurds]] in Iraq which tied diverted the Iraqi Army.