By Ali Shakeri, UCI Center for International Studies

If the United States had taken a better approach to Iran in 1953, Iraq would not be the problem it is today. Iraq is a product of this 1953 coup and today's relationship must be understood in light of this event. An historical accounting of it reveals repeated instances of Iran being treated in ways that have caused the relationship to become one of a "spiral conflict." The key question is why did the U.S. make this initial mistake in 1953? Why did it support a coup against a democratically elected government? As important as this event is, there are other factors, some old, some new, which also need to be addressed.

By Ma'sumeh Price

Noruz/Nowruz, or new day, is the celebration of spring equinox. It is the most cherished of all the Iranian festivals and is celebrated by all. This occasion has been renowned in one form or another by all the major cultures of ancient Mesopotamia. What we have today as Noruz with its uniquely Iranian characteristics has been celebrated for at least 3,000 years and is deeply rooted in the rituals and traditions of the Zoroastrian belief system in the Sassanid period.