Yup as machette said not surprised at the least, distancing themselves from the western world and preserving their culture isnt such a bad idea considering how Iraq is basically the 51st state of USA in the way it is controlled.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of ... d_the_Shah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_revolution (especially the part on 'Precursors to the revolution')
these are quite interesting aswell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-Iraq_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655