"Iran, because of the great leadership of the Shah, is an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world. This is a great tribute to you, Your Majesty, and to your leadership and to the respect and the admiration and love which your people give to you. We have no closer friends and allies than we find in Iran under your leadership. The cause of human rights is one that is also shared deeply by our people and by the aspirations of your own people as well. The progress which has been made in Iran on this vital issue gives us great hope for the future."

President Jimmy Carter, toast to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi at a state dinner, Tehran, 31 December 1977. Carter had built his 1976 presidential campaign partly on a commitment to human rights. Thirteen months after this toast, the Shah fled Iran.