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Nixon’s Caviar Dinner With the Shah Foretold Iran’s Fate
Clear Facts
- President Nixon offered caviar from the Shah to staff during 1979 Thanksgiving at San Clemente.
- Nixon finalized ‘The Real War,’ warning of Soviet threats and Iran’s shift from ally to enemy.
- Nixon visited exiled Shah in Mexico in 1979 and attended his 1980 funeral in Egypt as key Western figure.
- Iran plunged from Western bastion into anti-Western chaos after 1979 revolution and hostage crisis.
- Young Iranians, educated in U.S., demanded democracy but received Islamic dictatorship.
Richard Nixon hosted Ray Price and staff for Thanksgiving dinner in fall 1979 at Casa Pacifica, California. They worked on his book ‘The Real War,’ a forward-looking analysis of global threats.
“Have some caviar,” President Richard Nixon said, offering a tray with the chilled delicacy on it to Ray Price and me. “It’s from the Shah. We won’t be getting any more of that.”
Nixon described Iran’s turmoil as a disaster for Gulf monarchs and the West. The Shah’s fall exposed oil riches to Soviet ambitions.
“Iran has been plunged into bloody chaos and turned overnight from a bastion of Western strength to a cauldron of virulent anti-Westernism, its oil treasures lying provocatively exposed to lustful Russian eyes,” Nixon wrote.
Revolutionaries ousted the Shah in January 1979; Ayatollah Khomeini returned February 1, unleashing mullah terror worldwide. Nixon lamented U.S.-educated youth expecting instant rights but gaining dictatorship.
“Instead of rights, they got Islamic dictatorship.”
Nixon’s loyalty shone through visits to exiled Shah and funerals, signaling America’s steadfast alliances. His warnings underscore perils of abandoning strong leaders.
America must heed such lessons to protect traditional allies and counter radical threats today.
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