The Shah and Queen Mother welcomed US President Jimmy Carter at Niavaran Palace on December 31, 1977. King Hussein of Jordan had also traveled to Tehran to discuss developments in the region. When Mohammad Reza Pahlavi became king, Iran was occupied by Soviet and British forces. This occupation lasted until 1946. After these forces withdrew, Iran attempted to regain its independence. During this period, the Shah was unable to pursue a coordinated foreign policy. The Shah attempted to establish strong relations with the West during these years. Britain, which preferred to deal with an individual rather than with a parliament and a cabinet, and the United States, which believed that an authoritarian Iran close to the Soviet border would provide greater security for them, wished to see the Shah’s power in Iran increase. The Shah’s return to the throne after the nationalization of the oil industry was with American help and support; thus, the Shah’s dependence on the United States was a determining factor in his foreign policy from this time on. During these years, the Shah repeatedly openly sided with the Western Bloc and against the Eastern Bloc and even with the Third World countries of the Non-Aligned Movement. He allowed the United States to establish a spy network on the Iranian borders. He joined the CENTO Pact. He opposed the Pan-Arab movement of Abdel Nasser and even recognized Israel de facto during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, siding with Israel in the conflict and being anti-Palestinian. Or when the majority of the Third World called for a boycott of South Africa due to its racist apartheid policies, the Shah sold oil to South Africa.