Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 209 A New Transformation
With such strong industrial development, Iran's revival seems imminent. However, there is still a crucial issue: water.

Iran is short of water, or more accurately, the entire Middle East and even Central Asia. Apart from the Mecca region and the Caspian coast, the drought situation in other areas is second only to the Sahara Desert.

Iran has some rivers, so the situation is somewhat better. Rivers in Mesopotamia and Syria also provide some relief, but the water supply is insufficient for a rapidly growing population and industry.

To compensate for this deficiency, the first method was to seize areas rich in water resources, which is why Iran and the Ottoman Empire fought over Mesopotamia for hundreds of years.

Furthermore, the Syr Darya, Amu Darya, and Hari rivers in Central Asia, as well as the Tian Shan region in the east, are also rich in water resources. Moreover, the local population has a stronger affinity for Iran, making the competition with Russia inevitable.

The second method, though less common, is somewhat useful: seawater desalination. Since the 16th century, people have strived to extract fresh water from seawater. European explorers, during their long sea voyages, used shipboard stoves to boil seawater to produce fresh water. Heating seawater produces steam, which, when cooled and condensed, yields pure water. This everyday experience marked the beginning of seawater desalination technology.

Iran has begun researching seawater desalination to address its water shortage. While desalinated water produced through distillation is usable, it is also expensive, so this technology still has a long way to go.

"Now the whole country must be on guard against the Ottomans. Since they can't handle Baghdad properly, let's find someone else."

As soon as the Shah spoke, Amir knew what to do next. He was prepared and had already begun moving Iranian troops toward the Ottoman border. At the same time, he spread rumors that Iran was now on guard against Russia, so a large number of troops were being stationed north in Georgia, hoping that the Sultan and his allies would believe him.

Such a massive transformation would have been unthinkable without the foundation laid by the Iranian government's decade-long reforms. However, the government alone could not have achieved this; the royal family, as part of the Iranian state, was also deeply involved, primarily by providing funding for certain national projects.

Previously, Iran's wealth was mostly controlled by the royal family and local nobles, but this wealth was stagnant and therefore could not create value. Now that the Shah is leading the investment, the royal family is naturally following suit and using their money to earn even more.

By suppressing rebellions and other means, the royal family concentrated its wealth, which then flowed into two channels: investment and funding. The royal family's influence can be seen in industries such as education, healthcare, and defense. Moreover, this influence continues to deepen; it can be said that without royal funding, the current results would be significantly less effective.

----------

Sharif was practically grinning from ear to ear; his bargain-hunting spree in the US was finally paying off. The economic crisis lasted only a year, and in that year, Persian Bank reaped far more profits than ever before.

In terms of deposits, Persian Bank absorbed $200 million in a year, mostly in New York, followed by Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington. Local residents, believing the bank to be financially strong, deposited their savings there. The bank, in turn, used overseas support and deposits to buy up large amounts of various bonds that panicked American bond investors were dumping as junk. By the end of the crisis, the bank's assets had skyrocketed to £1000 million.

The soaring asset prices became too much for banks to manage, so Golden Lion Investment Company was established, wholly owned by Persian Bank. This company specialized in managing various investments in the United States and transferring the profits to the bank.

Now, holding so many bonds, the annual dividends would amount to millions. Sharif had more to consider next. "Ambassador, any news from Washington lately?"

Sharif asked the Iranian ambassador to the United States, Shahbaz, who gave him a meaningful look and said...

“It’s nothing. As you know, the American system is different from Iran’s. The laws are different between the country and the localities, and between different localities. If you want to invest, you can’t just convince Congress. You also have to convince the president, the governor, and the state legislature.”

The US federal system is somewhat unfriendly to foreign investment; there are too many areas for discussion, and one cannot violate local laws. However, money can solve many problems, but it can't last forever.

Even if you pay money to solve the problem, you still need connections in high places.

"Is everything in Shah's business settled?" Shabazz asked.

Sharif smiled slightly, "We have people in New York and Philadelphia, and they have decided to follow the glory of Allah and move towards the light."

The economic crisis is not only an opportunity to buy at rock-bottom prices, but also an opportunity to spread religion. Some people, disillusioned with reality, choose to seek solace in religion, and this is not limited to Christianity. The Crescent Moon Mutual Aid Society has grown at an astonishing pace, already boasting 6 chapters and 228 members. It has also established a development fund to encourage talented individuals to pursue business or politics, providing them with financial support.

"That's not enough. We must spread Allah's mercy to every corner of the Americas, from Washington to California, Mexico to Brazil. All these places need Allah's guidance."

What Shebaz saw in America was not just change, but also decadence, greed, and lust. Christianity outwardly opposes these things, but in reality, it encourages such behavior. How can this be allowed? Allah needs to purify it. (All religions are the same, except for the purest red faith.)
“These big cities alone are not enough. According to the U.S. Constitution, all states have equal status. If you can influence just one state, you can influence Congress.”

The U.S. Constitution stipulates that Congress is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives' seats are allocated proportionally by population, while the Senate has two seats from each state. Given the U.S. territory, Congress is likely to expand significantly in the future. Iran could seize this opportunity to increase its influence and, like the Jews, lobby Congress to pass legislation favorable to its interests.

The origins of Jewish lobbying groups can be traced back to 1804, when Zionist figures such as William Blackstone and George Bush began urging the U.S. government to support the return of Jews to the Middle East. However, this lobbying effort had not yet gained significant traction, and Iran was poised to capitalize on this opportunity to overtake them.

First, they would lobby members of Congress and government officials, providing detailed policy recommendations and analyses to help them understand Iran's position and needs. Furthermore, they would use economic, cultural, and public opinion means to cultivate a pro-Iranian atmosphere throughout American society.

Cultural and public opinion are predicated on the economy, so the resources of the vast land of the United States need to be transformed into chains for Iran, binding the United States and forcing it to look to Iran.

(End of this chapter)