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---
category: "Iran-Contra"
tags:
- Person
- Politics
- Iran
- IranContra
- Israel
- Military
summary: "First prime minister of revolutionary Iran under Khomeini who sought to normalize relations with the U.S. before being ousted by extremists."
---
[[Mehdi Bazargan]] was the first prime minister appointed by the revolutionary government of [[Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini]] in [[Iran]]. He was a member of the National Front and a supporter of [[Mohammed Mossadegh]], representing [[Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini|Khomeini's]] compromise between the fundamentalists and the middle class.[^1]
[[Mehdi Bazargan|Bazargan]] believed that both the [[Soviet Union|Soviets]] and the [[USA|U.S.]] were evil, but preferred the [[USA|U.S.]] to the "godless communists." He sought to normalize relations with [[Washington D.C.]] and allowed the [[USA|U.S.]] Embassy in [[Tehran]] to operate, continuing to deal with the [[USA|Americans]].[^1]
[[Mehdi Bazargan|Bazargan]] believed that both the [[Soviet Union|Soviets]] and the [[United States|U.S.]] were evil, but preferred the [[United States|U.S.]] to the "godless communists." He sought to normalize relations with [[Washington, D.C.]] and allowed the [[United States|U.S.]] Embassy in [[Tehran]] to operate, continuing to deal with the [[United States|Americans]].[^1]
[[Mehdi Bazargan|Bazargan's]] faction was in a tense power struggle with extremist fundamentalist groups who opposed any relationship with the [[USA|U.S.]]. [[Israel|Israeli]] intelligence, concerned about an imminent [[Iraq|Iraqi]] attack on [[Iran]], urged [[Jimmy Carter|President Carter]] to support [[Mehdi Bazargan|Bazargan's]] government, as he was willing to negotiate with the [[USA|Americans]] and accept help in reorganizing his military. However, the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration adopted a hands-off policy.[^1]
[[Mehdi Bazargan|Bazargan's]] faction was in a tense power struggle with extremist fundamentalist groups who opposed any relationship with the [[United States|U.S.]]. [[Israel|Israeli]] intelligence, concerned about an imminent [[Iraq|Iraqi]] attack on [[Iran]], urged [[Jimmy Carter|President Carter]] to support [[Mehdi Bazargan|Bazargan's]] government, as he was willing to negotiate with the [[United States|Americans]] and accept help in reorganizing his military. However, the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration adopted a hands-off policy.[^1]
[[Mehdi Bazargan|Bazargan]] desperately needed [[USA|American]] arms and help against the [[Iraq|Iraqi]] threat. He resigned on November 4, 1979, after radical "students" took over the [[USA|U.S.]] Embassy and held staff hostage, a desperate attempt to draw attention to themselves due to the lack of [[USA|American]] aid.[^1]
[[Mehdi Bazargan|Bazargan]] desperately needed [[United States|American]] arms and help against the [[Iraq|Iraqi]] threat. He resigned on November 4, 1979, after radical "students" took over the [[United States|U.S.]] Embassy and held staff hostage, a desperate attempt to draw attention to themselves due to the lack of [[United States|American]] aid.[^1]
[[Earl Brian]] and [[Robert McFarlane]] arranged a meeting with [[Mehdi Bazargan|Bazargan]] in late January 1980 in [[Tehran]] to discuss the hostage situation. [[Mehdi Bazargan|Bazargan]] was still thought to be very close to [[Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini|Khomeini]] and [[Mehdi Karrubi|Hojjat El-Islam Mehdi Karrubi]].[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")
[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.