Chair: Syon Bhanot
Director: Saeed Shonnar
Background Guide: Download [PDF]
Committee Positions: Download [DOC]
Iran is a Persian Islamic republic located east of Iraq and west of Afghanistan. In 1979, Iran became in Islamic republic following the overthrow of the monarchy through the removal of the shah from power. Furthermore, in November 1979, a group of students seized the US embassy in Tehran , holding dozens of Americans captive until early 1981. These events define Iran in the modern day as a nation hostile to the West.
Since the late 1970's, Iran has been subject to substantial internal turmoil. From 1980-88, Iran was involved in a brutal war against its neighbor, Iraq . It has also been riddled with religious radicalism, repression and floundering reform efforts in the last few decades. Political pressure groups and Islamic clerics dominate the Iranian political scene, restricting political reform and continuing to consolidate their power over the government. In recent history, Iran has been placed in the "Axis of Evil" by US President George W. Bush for its involvement in harboring terrorist groups, and has been subject to stringent US economic sanctions. Iran has recently attempted to acquire nuclear weapons; the effort to curtail Iranian WMD is being led by the Europeans with backing from the US and the UN, and remains a contentious issue worthy of substantial attention. Other major issues in Iran include drug trafficking, massive human rights violations and a dangerous over-reliance on the oil economy ( Iran is the quintessential "rentier state").
Iran is a hostile state in the region, and is capable of disrupting the entire region through its acquisition of nuclear weapons and its continued hostility towards Israel and the West. As a result, discussions in this committee will focus on the best ways to forward Iranian interests in the region, and ensure that Iran is a significant player in the long term future of the Middle East.