Shadowing Practice: How the US and Iran became bitter rivals - BBC World Service - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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The relationship between the US and Iran hasn't always sounded like this.
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The relationship between the US and Iran hasn't always sounded like this.
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An axis of evil.
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Unprecedented, crippling sanctions on Iran.
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Iran has been a very dangerous player. They're a nation of terror.
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The US and Iran may not have agreed on much for decades, but they used to be allies.
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Iran, because of the great leadership of the Shah, is an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world.
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So how did the relationship between the two become so strained?
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And how does that link to what's happening in Iran today?
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Oil was discovered in southwestern Iran at the start of the 20th century.
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This redefined the role of the country on the global stage and began a complex journey with the West and especially the United States.
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A British company that would later become BP set up Iran's oil industry and business was good, but over time there were growing calls from Iranians for more control.
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The problem was there was so much wealth to be gained from the oil that was being extracted, that then they could see all of that money just leaving the country.
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And so it's that history of feeling that this is oil on Iranian territory under their ground, and they're not getting any of the benefit from it.
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One of the strongest voices was Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.
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He came to power promising to nationalize Iran's oil, which he did in 1951.
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As a result, Britain, supported by America, boycotted Iranian oil, causing exports to all but collapse over the next two years.
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Then, in 1953, American and British intelligence agencies orchestrated a coup to push him out.
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So America saw Mossadegh as being someone who would develop ties between Iran and Russia.
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So basically, it was an opportunity that then allowed American oil companies to get a foothold in the Iranian market.
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The coup cemented control of the Western backed shop, or king of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
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For the next 26 years, with support from the US, the Shah built infrastructure, started land reforms, improved education and gave women the vote.
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These very fast paced social changes that are happening alongside this influx of enormous amounts of oil wealth into the country, and we see very fast transformations within society.
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The reforms boosted the economy, but not everyone benefited equally, and some religious leaders felt they were a threat to Islamic values.
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Then the Shah increased political control over society.
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In Iran under Mohammad Reza Shah, Pahlavi becomes much stronger and he has American support to train up his secret police, to interrogate people and to try and stamp out any possible areas of opposition.
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The Shah's feared secret police, his opulent lifestyle and pro-Western policies sparked riots, strikes and mass protests from across Iranian society.
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And all this led to the Iranian Revolution in 1979, which changed the country completely.
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The religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile and established an Islamic republic.
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This transformed not only Iran, but how it saw the world.
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The shift from friends to enemies starts in 1979, partly just because of where the revolution ended up going under the leadership of Khomeini, whose rhetoric was anti-American.
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In November 1979, a group of students who said they were angry about America's treatment of Iran stormed the US embassy in Tehran and held dozens of Americans hostage inside for more than a year.
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When the hostage crisis happens, the relationship fundamentally changes.
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Iran was no longer a friend and overnight becomes an enemy.
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In response, the US applied economic sanctions for the first time.
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They banned all trade with Iran, including oil.
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Before the hostage crisis ended. Iraq invaded Iran.
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The leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, felt threatened by Iran's Islamic Republic and thought the new regime was weak and could be quickly defeated.
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But the war lasted eight years and more than half a million people died.
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Though officially neutral, the US secretly backed Iraq, providing financial aid, weapons and intelligence.
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Towards the end of this war, on July 3rd, 1988, the US shot down an Iranian civilian plane that it says it mistook for a fighter jet and killed 290 people.
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Over time in Iran, rhetoric against the US and its greatest ally in the region, Israel strengthened.
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Iran has denied Israel's right to exist since the 1979 revolution.
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The Islamic republic is concerned, the US poses an existential threat to Iran.
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Um, Israel also poses an existential threat to Iran.
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And I think as the only Shia Persian state in the region, nobody likes them.
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And if Iran does not take its fight away from its homeland, it would have to face its enemies on Iranian soil.
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Since the revolution, Iran has been seeking to export its ideology and expand its influence beyond its borders by supporting a network of well-armed groups.
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Over time this included Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, as well as others in Iraq and Syria, collectively called the axis of resistance.
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This, along with concerns from the US that Iran could develop a nuclear weapons program, strained relations further and led to more sanctions.
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Iran has repeatedly said its nuclear program was only for peaceful purposes.
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Iran has sanctions that the US has imposed on Iran because of its nuclear program.
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There are sanctions because of its regional activities, what the US calls terrorist activities in the Middle East.
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And there are also sanctions on the Islamic Republic because of the violations of human rights.
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There were attempts at reconciliation, but a breakthrough didn't come until 2015 when, after more than a decade of negotiations, Iran signed an agreement to limit its nuclear program.
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In exchange, the US and others stopped crippling economic sanctions, allowing Iran to once again sell its oil internationally.
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This fell apart during President Trump's first presidency.
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He took the US out of that agreement and reimposed sanctions.
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At the heart of the Iran deal was a giant fiction that a murderous regime desired only a peaceful nuclear energy program.
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Tensions escalated under President Trump's maximum pressure campaign.
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Iran's economy, already weakened by decades of sanctions and mismanagement, worsened in 2019.
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The US accused Iran of attacking oil tankers and its drones in the region.
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Then in 2020, Iran's top military commander, General Qasem Soleimani, was killed by a US drone strike in Iraq.
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President Trump said Soleimani was behind attacks on Americans in the region.
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On October 7th, 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, which sparked more than two years of war in Gaza.
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Iran denied being involved but publicly supported the actions of Hamas.
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Israel responded with sustained attacks in Gaza against Hamas as well as other Iranian allies and proxies in the region.
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In June 2025, the UN's nuclear watchdog said Iran had breached its nuclear obligations under the Non-Proliferation treaty.
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Iran has always said that they have never looked to develop a nuclear weapon.
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Israel launched a series of strikes on Iran, resulting in a 12 day war between the two countries, and this culminated in direct US involvement, including airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
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Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat.
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Since the Iranian Revolution, the US and Iran were fighting each other in different arenas uh, diplomatic, economic, political, uh, espionage, cyber.
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Uh, the only thing that had not happened was the use of military force, but he broke that taboo.
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In September 2025, the UN reimposed a host of sanctions that had been lifted in 2015 because of increased Iranian nuclear activity.
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The economy went from bad to worse.
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Food price inflation increased by 70% and then mostly due to sanctions.
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Iran's currency plummeted.
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This meant all imported products like cooking oil, wheat and medicine became more expensive.
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Almost overnight.
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Shopkeepers and merchants in Tehran started protesting in response to the soaring prices.
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At the end of December.
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Demonstrations grew quickly in size and spread across the country.
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There have been wide calls for political change, with crowds chanting slogans against Supreme Leader Khamenei.
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Some have called for the return of the exiled son of the former Shah, Reza Pahlavi.
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The regime has cracked down on protesters.
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Thousands have been killed.
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US President Donald Trump has expressed support for protesters and warned the regime against violence.
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We don't want to see what's happening in Iran happen.
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And, you know, if they want to have protests, that's one thing when they start killing thousands of people.
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And now you're telling me about hanging.
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We'll see how that works out for them. It's not going to work out good.
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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed President Trump for the protests and deaths.
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Some in Iran's opposition, including the exiled son of the former Shah, have welcomed President Trump's support.
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I believe that President Trump is a man of his word and ultimately he will stand with the Iranian people, as he has said.
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But there's also unease.
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So you do have some Iranians who can easily see, okay, so the enemy of my enemy is then my friend.
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So if Trump is the enemy of Khamenei, Trump could be helpful.
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But that's not all Iranians. And it just becomes very complicated when you don't want to straightforwardly welcome more American intervention.
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And there are wider worries about the impact of any escalation.
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Regional countries are concerned about Iran's actions once Iran gets cornered.
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This is why you're seeing the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf lobbying against the US striking Iran, because they know that they will be caught in the crossfire of the United States and Iran.

Context & Background

The relationship between the United States and Iran has been marked by dramatic shifts and tensions over the past century. Initially allies, their bond deteriorated due to political upheaval, nationalization of resources, and the eventual rise of a theocratic regime. This complex history provides a backdrop for understanding not only the rivalries in the Middle East today but also the evolving discourse on international relations. Recognizing key terms and phrases from related discussions can greatly enhance English learning.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Axis of evil" - A phrase used to describe states perceived as threats to global peace, particularly in relation to U.S. foreign policy.
  • "Economic sanctions" - Measures taken by countries to restrict trade and financial relations with a nation to influence its actions.
  • "Nationalize oil" - The act of transferring ownership of a resource from private to public control, often a source of conflict.
  • "Islamic Republic" - A form of government based on Islamic law, as established in Iran after the 1979 revolution.
  • "Hostage crisis" - A significant event where a group of US embassy staff were taken captive in Iran, fundamentally altering diplomatic relations.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Improving your English skills through shadowing is a powerful method. Here’s how to effectively tackle the complexities of this video's content:

  1. Select Key Phrases: Start by focusing on the top phrases listed above. Understanding their meanings will enhance your context comprehension.
  2. Listen and Repeat: Use a shadowing app or platform to listen to the video at a slower speed. Repeat each phrase after the speaker, paying attention to pronunciation and intonation.
  3. Break Down Sentences: Focus on shorter sections of the video. Pause after each sentence or phrase and practice saying it aloud, mimicking the speaker’s rhythm.
  4. Practice Daily: Dedicate at least 15 minutes each day to shadowing. Consistency will help improve fluency and pronunciation over time.
  5. Review and Reflect: After practicing, watch the video again without shadowing. Listen for phrases you struggled with and revisit those to reinforce your learning.

This method not only boosts your vocabulary but also helps in mastering pronunciation and fluency. Utilize resources available on various shadowing sites to further refine your skills while you aim to learn English with YouTube effectively.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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