The English Job

Modern Iranians define themselves by their bloody experience of the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988 where the country stood alone against Iraq. The conflict was an unprovoked act of aggression by Saddam Hussein, leader of Iraq. The rest of the world - France, the Soviet Union, later the US and the UK - all piled in to support Iraq, with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States bankrolling Saddam. It was this experience that has helped define Iran's view of the world, and its attitudes to both its local rivals for power and those further afield. This book seeks to illuminate Britain's difficult relationship with Iran, and in doing so provide anyone with an interest in Iran, with a better understanding of this extraordinary country.