The Day Iran’s Democracy Died

In 1953 the United Kingdom with help from the United States ousted the first democratically elected prime minister of Iran, Mohammad Mosadegh. Mosadegh was a revolutionary who sought to nationalize iranian oil, eliminating the monopoly that the United Kingdom had on iranian oil. Through Operation TPAJAX, which led to a series of U.S. backed coup état’s in various countries, Iran was robbed of their democracy and a tyrannical U.S. backed Dictator was installed in its place. This interference of Iranian affairs has led to decades of American hatred and later the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Before the 1953 coupe état, revolutionary, Mosadegh nationalized Iranian oil with an almost unanimous vote,later being threatened by American and British intelligence he was removed from power, and then decades of american resentment and hindrance of political progress followed.

“The coup had its roots in a British showdown with Iran, restive under decades of near-colonial British domination”(Iran Chamber). Britain had almost complete control of most of Iran’s oil reserves which were in the Persian Gulf, and there was a growing concern from the Iranian people and the Iranian government from how little of a percentage of the profits Iran was getting compared to the fifty percent that Saudi Arabia was getting. Then in 1949 the Majlis or the Iranian Parliament approved the First Development Plan which called for extensive agricultural and industrial development of the country(Iran Chamber). The First Development Plan was largely funded from the extra revenues of the oil industry. Initially General Ali Razmara the current Prime minister was not successful negotiating a better deal with the British,and could not “persuade the oil company of the strength of...

... middle of paper ...

...and the will of the people, I fought this savage and dreadful system of international espionage and colonialism. ...I am well aware that my fate must serve as an example in the future throughout the Middle East in breaking the chains of slavery and servitude to colonial interests.” (In his military trial on December 19, 1953).

Works Cited

Byrne, Malcolm, ed. "The Secret CIA History of the Iran Coup 1953." The National Security Archives. The George Washington University, 29 Nov. 2000. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .

Hap, Abrams. "Operation TP-AJAX." Operation TP-AJAX. Opsec News, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .

Iran Chamber Society, ed. History of Iran a Short Account of 1953 Coup. Iran Chamber Society, 2001. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .