Iran was a mess. The Iranian people hated the Shah and his secret police, and there was an active revolutionary movement that had broad support among the population. Moreover, radical Islam had already found its foothold there, before Carter abandoned Iran.
Carter certainly made things worse ... but he didn't create the problem.
I never disputed any of that. The fact remains that Iran was an economic success.
Moreover, radical Islam had already found its foothold there, before Carter abandoned Iran.
The Shah may have fallen even with American support, but Iran's fate was sealed when Carter betrayed him.