On April 19th, Iran's got this deep history as ancient Persia, a powerhouse civilization cursed by its oil riches and foreign meddling. Back in 1953, Britain and the U.S. toppled the country's democratically elected leader who wanted to nationalize oil, propping up the Shah as their puppet ruler instead. Fast forward, the Shah's regime crumbled in the revolution, leaving behind symbols of his ego, like massive boots from a toppled statue, now Makdad, his old palace turned museum.
That resentment toward the West still simmers strong among everyday Iranians. A new book called Caviar for Breakfast dives into life there during the early 80s, written by Felicity Heathcote, wife of the Irish emphases. Charged Affairs from 1981 to 1986, it's a raw look at revolutionary chaos through an outsider's eyes. She describes constant executions, revolutionary guards, humiliating women over makeup and deodorant and dodging violence like truckloads of militants, firing after a downtown massacre while just hunting for a new oven.
Iran's people remain trapped between a brutal home regime, external aggressors from Washington and Israel, all while their ancient land endures the fallout.