The history of the United States relationship with Iran during the 1960s and 1970s is really the history of the affiliation between the United States and the Shah of Iran. The Shah was able to play off of Cold War fears and a policies based in modernization theory to maintain a stable relationship with the United States' changing administrations. While the Shah is often portrayed as a weak leader in history, the Shah's ability to play use both Cold War fears and modernization theory to further his own agenda shows that he was an adept politician.