, ▁the ▁Shah ▁of ▁Iran , ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁reliable ▁U . S . ▁al ly ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁Iran ian ▁coup ▁d ' état . ▁During ▁the ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁coup , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁lav ished ▁aid ▁on ▁Iran , ▁while ▁Iran ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁depend able ▁source ▁of ▁oil ▁exports . ▁Carter , ▁V ance , ▁and ▁Br ze zin ski ▁all ▁viewed ▁Iran ▁as ▁a ▁key ▁Cold ▁War ▁al ly , ▁not ▁only ▁for ▁the ▁oil ▁it ▁produced ▁but ▁also ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁influence ▁in ▁O PE C ▁and ▁its ▁strateg ic ▁position ▁between ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf . ▁Despite ▁human ▁rights ▁viol ations , ▁Carter ▁visited ▁Iran ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁and ▁author ized ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁U . S . ▁f ighter ▁aircraft . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁ri oting ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁several ▁cities , ▁and ▁it ▁soon ▁spread ▁across ▁the ▁country . ▁Po or ▁economic ▁conditions , ▁the ▁un pop ular ity ▁of ▁P ah la vi ' s ▁" White ▁Revolution ", ▁and ▁an ▁Islam ic ▁rev ival ▁all ▁led ▁to ▁increasing ▁anger ▁among ▁Iran ians , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁also ▁des pis ed ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁its ▁support ▁of ▁P ah la vi ▁and ▁its ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁coup . ▁ ▁The ▁Carter ▁administration ' s ▁new ▁dem ands ▁for ▁human ▁rights ▁anger ed ▁the ▁Shah , ▁and ▁split ▁the ▁Carter ▁administration .