Posted on 03/25/2026 7:54:14 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
August 19, 1953: The Iranian military, with the support and financial assistance of the United States government, overthrows the government of Premier Mohammad Mosaddeq and reinstates the Shah of Iran.
Iran remained a solid Cold War ally of the United States until a revolution ended the Shah’s rule in 1979.
Mosaddeq came to prominence in Iran in 1951 when he was appointed premier. A fierce nationalist, Mosaddeq immediately began attacks on British oil companies operating in his country, calling for expropriation and nationalization of the oil fields. His actions brought him into conflict with the pro-Western elites of Iran and the Shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlevi. Indeed, the Shah dismissed Mossadeq in mid-1952, but massive public riots condemning the action forced the Shah to reinstate Mossadeq a short time later. U.S. officials watched events in Iran with growing suspicion. British intelligence sources, working with the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), came to the conclusion that Mossadeq had communist leanings and would move Iran into the Soviet orbit if allowed to stay in power.
Working with Shah, the CIA and British intelligence began to engineer a plot to overthrow Mossadeq. The Iranian premier, however, got wind of the plan and called his supporters to take to the streets in protest. At this point, the Shah left the country for “medical reasons.” While British intelligence backed away from the debacle, the CIA continued its covert operations in Iran. Working with pro-Shah forces and, most importantly, the Iranian military, the CIA cajoled, threatened, and bribed its way into influence and helped to organize another coup attempt against Mossadeq. On August 19, 1953, the military, backed by street protests organized and financed by the CIA, overthrew Mossadeq. The Shah quickly returned to take power and, as thanks for the American help, signed over 40 percent of Iran’s oil fields to U.S. companies.
Mossadeq was arrested, served three years in prison, and died under house arrest in 1967. The Shah became one of America’s most trusted Cold War allies, and U.S. economic and military aid poured into Iran during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. In 1978, however, anti-Shah and anti-American protests broke out in Iran and the Shah was toppled from power in 1979. Militants seized the U.S. embassy and held the American staff hostage until January 1981. Nationalism, not communism, proved to be the most serious threat to U.S. power in Iran.
Because they wanted control of Iran’s resources. They thought that the Ayatoilet could be controlled, so they helped him gain control.
Nationalism, not communism, proved to be the most serious threat to U.S. power in Iran.
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What BS. The commies were in cahoots with the Islamics against the Persian nationalist Shah.
Apparently the leftist worms have eaten the History Channel’s brain.
The History Channel is unreliable - but for being reliably loyal to all progressive narratives.
Lacking from this narrative is the huge role the Soviet Communist played in getting Mosaddeq into power, where he planned to be commie dictator for life. We could have well done without Iranian oil then, as well as now.
The Shah appointed him in the first place, it isn’t an elected position.
Motassedeq set off alarm bells by violating their separation of powers so to speak, by demanding unconstitutional authority over the army, which he used to try to replace the officers with his own family members and friends.
He also dissolved parliament- not very democratic of him.
So, like other PMs before him about whose dismissal there was no controversy, he was dismissed by the same Shah that appointed him.
You are quite right. As I have posted before:
The Shah was the reining monarch of Iran before Mosaddegh became Prime Minister.
Mosaddegh was never elected Prime minister.
The Iranian constitution gave the power to the Shah to name and remove the Prime Minister.
Mosaddegh was part of a coalition that included the communist Tudeh Party and hard line Islamists including the mentor of Khomeini.
Mosaddegh replaced the PM who was assassinated by the Islamists.
Mosaddegh had family ties to the Qajar Dynasty, that the Pahlavis had replaced in 1925.
At the time of the so-called “coup” Mosaddegh had lost almost all popular support, including amongst the hardliners. And that he tried to illegally dissolve the legislature.
The shah negotiated a better deal than the previous dynasty had signed with the British. He’d plan to nationalize the oil industry in 1979 when that agreement was up for renewal, but the mullahs swept away the government and the rest is history.
Appreciated.
Additionally, the US supported Shah of Iran was hated by just about everyone, including us. We don’t have a great track record in that country.
Thanks.
There are many people who argue, including on this forum, that “The Shah” didn’t exist prior to 1953 and was an office formed by the “1953 coup by the CIA that installed the Shah.” The Shah was a monarchy that went back over 2000 years. The Shah in power in 1953 ascended to the throne in 1941.
Great that our CIA got rid of Mosaddeq who was going to be a communist stooge for USSR. We were in a Cold War and not about to let USSR expand power this way. These scum had already taken over Eastern Europe.
Those innocents here, who are against such US interventions, should crack open a history book.
The Left will never get over that.
Bull swaddle. This fictionized account has been debunked repeatedly.
“The last Shah’s father was a moron who made several bad decisions while in power, to include an alliance with Germany during WW2.”
I don’t think that’s a fair description, either of Reza Shah or the relation with Germany during WWII. Iran was neutral in WWII, and after the German invasion of the USSR Iran became the desired route to supply the Soviets. Invading the neutral country of Iran was like the much vilified invasion of Belgium in WWI.
The biggest “crime” of the Pahlavi Dynasty was trying to modernize the country. Reza Shah admired Ataturk and how he had secularized Turkey. Reza Shah banned Islamic veils, including the chador. He built roads and railways, and established the first university in Iran. He broke unfair oil agreements with the British, and negotiated a new one that provided a more fair distribution of profits between the two nations.
Before Reza Shah Iran in many was was a nation stuck in a feudal system. Wealthy landowners controlled the tenant farmers below them, taking four fifths of the profits of the farmers’ labor. All schools were religious schools, the majority of course were Islamic. Hostile tribal groups in the outlining areas operated as bandits, making travel hazardous. Reza Shah closed the religious schools and replaced them with state controlled ones offering education for all. He instituted land reforms and founded a modern army, taming those tribal groups. Reza Shah increased the mileage of major highways from 2,000 to 16,000, and began building railways. He stopped the French from looting Iran’s antiquities.
Neither Reza Shah nor his son were perfect. Both tended toward autocratic rule, and in the case of Reza heavy handed policies rubbed people the wrong way, particularly the outlining tribal groups and the clerics. Ironically, the mullahs initially backed Mossadegh but they turned against him because they thought he was trying to change the country even faster.
Perhaps the last straw was giving the vote to women in 1963, eight years before women in Switzerland could do so. The first thing that happened when the ayatollahs took over 1979 was to remove the rights of women. The marriage age for women was lowered from 18 to 9. Head coverings were once again mandatory in public. Universities were shut down for five years.
Like with Nicholas II in Russia, the people the shah ruled jumped out of the frying pan and right into the fire.
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