d ish ▁struggle ▁against ▁Ira q . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁security ▁background ▁and ▁official ▁familiar ity ▁with ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Iran , ▁Hel ms ▁figured ▁that ▁as ▁the ▁American ▁amb assador ▁he ▁could ▁" hit ▁the ▁ground ▁running " ▁when ▁he ▁started ▁work ▁in ▁Te h ran . Sh aw cross , ▁The ▁Shah ' s ▁Last ▁R ide ▁( 1 9 8 8 ) ▁p . ▁ 2 6 6 ▁( CI A ▁' list ening ▁posts ' ▁re ▁S ovi ets ), ▁pp . ▁ 7 2 , ▁ 1 6 0 – 1 6 1 , ▁ 1 9 8 ▁( CI A ▁and ▁Sav ak ), ▁at ▁pp . ▁ 1 6 3 , ▁ 1 6 5 * ▁( CI A ▁and ▁the ▁Kur ds ), ▁p . ▁ 2 6 6 ▁( quote ). ▁" The ▁C IA ▁owned ▁in ▁Iran ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁largest ▁operations ▁in ▁the ▁world " ▁( p . ▁ 2 6 4 ). ▁ ▁Long ▁before ▁Hel ms ▁arrived ▁in ▁country ▁his ▁emb ass y , ▁and ▁other ▁western ▁emb ass ies ▁as ▁well , ▁ent ert ained ▁an ▁" al most ▁un crit ical ▁appro val ▁of ▁the ▁Shah . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁strong ▁leader , ▁a ▁reform er ▁who ▁appreciated ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁his ▁people ▁and ▁who ▁had ▁a ▁vision ▁of ▁a ▁developed , ▁pro - West ern , ▁anti - Comm un ist , ▁prosper ous ▁Iran ." ▁The ▁sh ah ▁remained ▁an ▁al ly . ▁"