Declassified US records show that before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran worked closely with the US – even quietly supported Pakistan during key wars with India.
When Washington and Tehran worked together to help PakistanBefore the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran, under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was one of Washington’s closest partners in the region. The Shah ruled from 1953 to 1979 and maintained strong military and intelligence ties with the US.
Declassified US documents from the early 1970s show that Iran played a quiet but active role in supporting Pakistan during the 1965 and 1971 wars with India. At the time, Pakistan faced arms restrictions from Western suppliers. Iran stepped in as an intermediary.
Records from the US State Department indicate that Tehran purchased around 90 F-86 fighter jets, along with air-to-air missiles, artillery, ammunition and spare parts, from a West German dealer.
The aircraft were routed through Iran before being transferred onward to Pakistan. Other equipment reportedly moved directly to Karachi.
Iran effectively acted as a supply channel when formal routes were blocked.The 1971 War and US calculations
The crisis deepened during the 1971 war, which followed unrest in East Pakistan and India’s military intervention. According to the US archives, Pakistan’s then-president Yahya Khan appealed for urgent help.
According to a December 4, 1971 record of a conversation between US National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and President Richard Nixon, Kissinger told Nixon that Yahya’s “military supplies have been cut off” and asked whether assistance could be routed “through Iran.” Nixon approved the idea two days later, on December 6, provided Iran would be compensated.
Iran also lent helicopters and other equipment during the conflict. But the Shah stopped short of sending Iranian pilots directly. India had just signed a treaty with the Soviet Union, and Tehran was cautious about provoking Moscow.
Instead, the Shah suggested that Jordan send F-104 jets to Pakistan, with Iran backfilling Jordan’s air defences. The arrangement reflected the tight coordination among US-aligned states in the region at the time.
After 1979’s Islamic revolution: A shift in direction
Everything changed with the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran’s foreign policy moved away from Washington. Relations with India remained functional and steady, while ties with the US collapsed into open hostility.
Today’s conflict has revived questions about shifting alliances. The same Washington that is now confronting Tehran once relied on it as a regional partner.
Alliances have formed, dissolved and re-formed under pressure. Whether the current conflict produces another such shift remains uncertain.
