overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iran
Factsheet
1953 Iranian coup d'état Part of the Abadan Crisis and the Cold War
Coup supporters celebrate victory in Tehran
Coup supporters celebrate victory in Tehran
Government-Insurgents
Iranian Government supporters House of Pahlavi supporters
United States
United Kingdom
United States
United Kingdom
1953 Iranian coup d'état Part of the Abadan Crisis and the Cold War
Coup supporters celebrate victory in Tehran
Coup supporters celebrate victory in Tehran
Government-Insurgents
Iranian Government supporters House of Pahlavi supporters
United States
United Kingdom
United States
United Kingdom
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › 1953_Iranian_coup_d'état
1953 Iranian coup d'état - Wikipedia
4 days ago - On 19 August 1953, Prime Minister of Iran Mohammad Mosaddegh was overthrown in a coup d'état orchestrated by the United States (CIA) and the United Kingdom (MI6). A key motive was to protect British oil interests in Iran after Mosaddegh nationalized and refused to concede to western oil demands.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Mohammad_Mosaddegh
Mohammad Mosaddegh - Wikipedia
1 day ago - Mohammad Mosaddegh (Persian: محمد مصدق, IPA: [mohæmˈmæd(-e) mosædˈdeɢ] ⓘ; 16 June 1882 – 5 March 1967) was an Iranian politician, author, and lawyer who served as the prime minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, elected by the 16th Majlis. He was a member of the Iranian parliament from 1923, and served through a contentious 1952 election into the 17th Iranian Majlis, until his government was overthrown in the 1953 Iranian coup d'état aided by the intelligence agencies of the United Kingdom (MI6) and the United States (CIA), led by Kermit Roosevelt Jr.
Videos
03:31
Why did Mohammad Mosaddegh nationalize Iran’s oil industry? - ...
Why did Mohammad Mosaddegh nationalize Iran's oil industry ...
01:32:45
"The Legacy of Mohammad Mosaddegh" A Book Talk by Nicolas Gorjestani ...
01:15:14
The Legacy of Mohammad Mosaddegh with Nicolas Gorjestani - YouTube
Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › politics, law & government › world leaders › prime ministers
Mohammad Mosaddegh | Biography, 1953 coup in Iran, & Facts | Britannica
July 20, 1998 - In March 1951 the Majles passed his oil-nationalization act, and his power had grown so great that the shah, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, was virtually forced to appoint him premier. The nationalization resulted in a deepening crisis in Iran, both politically and economically. Mosaddegh and his National Front Party continued to gain power but alienated many supporters, particularly among the ruling elite and in the Western nations.
Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training
adst.org › 2015 › 07 › the-coup-against-irans-mohammad-mossadegh
The Coup Against Iran’s Mohammad Mossadegh – Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training
Mohammad Mossadegh became Prime Minister of Iran in 1951 and was hugely popular for taking a stand against the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, a British-owned oil company that had made huge profits while paying Iran only 16% of its profits and often far less. His nationalization efforts led the British ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/askhistorians › why was the us opposed to mosaddegh to the point of overthrowing him?
r/AskHistorians on Reddit: Why was the US opposed to Mosaddegh to the point of overthrowing him?
July 9, 2025 -
To me, it always seemed like Mossadegh represented a lot of the values of America in comparison with other prime ministers. If it was related to British Oil Interests, what does the USA get out of it (especially since many american politicians believed that the British were trying to rule a country in 1950 like they would in 1920, and disagreed with the british approach)
Top answer 1 of 2
41
(this is a 5 part comment) I think it is is wrong to assume the US was "opposed" to Mosaddegh, at least initially. In reality, the US--in their own view--was playing a mediator role between the UK (and by extension the Ango-Persian Oil Company) and Iran, which is where the real tensions lied. I will attempt to portray the events leading up to the ousting of Mosaddegh using now declassified documents from the US state department, all found archived here: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v10 President Truman himself wrote to Dr. Mosaddegh in 1951: I had hoped that the common interests of the two countries directly involved and the common ground which has been developed in your discussions would open the way to a solution of the troublesome and complicated problems which have arisen. You know of our sympathetic interest in this country in Iran’s desire to control its natural resources. From this point of view we were happy to see that the British Government has on its part accepted the principle of nationalization. Mosaddegh himself considered the Americans as mediators, stating: "“When there are two divergent points of view it is good to have the help of a third party.” Of course, Dr. Mosaddegh himself felt that the Americans were too biased towards the British, whereas the British felt the Americans were too biased towards the Iranians. The Americans sincerely held that their mediator role was in the best interest of the Iranian nation and felt that Mosaddegh was being too stubborn in negotiations. At the same time, the Americans also felt the British were being equally unreasonable. President Truman wrote to PM Atlee: Recent information which has reached me has led me to believe that the Iranian Government is willing and even anxious to work out an arrangement with His Majesty’s Government which would safeguard basic British interests and which could satisfy the desires of the Iranian people for nationalization of their petroleum resources...I know that you are fully aware of the serious implications of this explosive situation. I am sure you can understand my deep concern that no action should be taken in connection with this dispute which would result in disagreement between Iran and the free world. I am confident that a solution acceptable both to Great Britain and Iran can be found. I sincerely hope that every effort will be made to accomplish this objective. The Americans eventually tried to go "above the head" of Mosaddegh and appeal to the Shah, who expressed concerns that the prolonging of negotiations by Mosaddegh and the British was essentially tanking the Iranian economy, but also reiterated that he could not intervene (despite having constitutional power to do so) because nationalization is a popular policy among Iranian public, that replacement of the Mosaddegh government would have "very grave consequences". He appeared more concerned with the lack of oil income as a result of the dispute, rather than the dispute itself, and was more focused on finding an expedient resolution so oil production could resume again. Additionally, as the US was Iran's #1 military supplier, he was worried about the effect prolonged negotiations would have on Iran's relationship with the US and again for this reason seemed eager for quick resolution.
2 of 2
1
Welcome to r/AskHistorians . Please Read Our Rules before you comment in this community. Understand that rule breaking comments get removed . Please consider Clicking Here for RemindMeBot as it takes time for an answer to be written. Additionally, for weekly content summaries, Click Here to Subscribe to our Weekly Roundup . We thank you for your interest in this question, and your patience in waiting for an in-depth and comprehensive answer to show up. In addition to the Weekly Roundup and RemindMeBot, consider using our Browser Extension . In the meantime our Bluesky , and Sunday Digest feature excellent content that has already been written! I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
digitalcommons.unl.edu › cgi › viewcontent.cgi pdf
The Overthrow of Mohammad Mosaddegh: U.S. Motivations ...
under the guise of combating communism, the overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad · Mosaddegh was driven just as much by economic and strategic interests through alliance with
Reddit
reddit.com › r/wikipedia › mohammad mosaddegh was the democratically elected prime minister of iran (1951–1953) who nationalized the oil industry, challenging british control. he was overthrown in a cia- and mi6-backed coup, restoring the monarch shah’s power.
r/wikipedia on Reddit: Mohammad Mosaddegh was the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran (1951–1953) who nationalized the oil industry, challenging British control. He was overthrown in a CIA- and MI6-backed coup, restoring the monarch Shah’s power.
July 10, 2025 - Mohammad Mosaddegh (1882–1967) was an Iranian politician, author, and lawyer who served as the 30th Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, elected by the 16th Majlis, until his government was overthrown in the 1953 Iranian coup d'etat aided by the intelligence agencies of the UK and US.
Texas National Security Review
tnsr.org › home › the collapse narrative: the united states, mohammed mossadegh, and the coup decision of 1953
The Collapse Narrative: The United States, Mohammed Mossadegh, and the Coup Decision of 1953 - Texas National Security Review
April 16, 2025 - On Aug. 19, 1953, elements inside Iran organized and funded by the Central Intelligence Agency and British intelligence services carried out a coup d’état that overthrew the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. Historians have yet to reach a consensus on why the Eisenhower administration opted to use covert action in Iran, tending to either emphasize America’s fear of communism or its desire to control oil as the most important factor influencing the decision.
EBSCO
ebsco.com › research-starters › politics-and-government › iranian-leader-mossadegh-overthrown
Iranian Leader Mossadegh Is Overthrown | Research Starters | EBSCO Research
Muhammad Mossadegh was a prominent Iranian leader known for his role as a liberal politician and prime minister from April 1951 until his overthrow on August 19, 1953. He was an influential figure in the push for the nationalization of Iran's oil industry, challenging the dominance of foreign companies, particularly the British-owned Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.
Quora
quora.com › Iran-Why-was-Mohammad-Mosaddegh-overthrown
Iran: Why was Mohammad Mosaddegh overthrown? - Quora
Answer (1 of 6): There are qualitative similarities between British and American colonialism. America usually does it by restoring a "democratic regime". The overthrow of MM in 1953 was one of many exceptions though. What does the American Corporate universe wants?? 2 words - Natural Resources. M...
PBS LearningMedia
pbslearningmedia.org › resource › amex34th-soc-operationajax › operation-ajax-the-plot-to-overthrow-iranian-prime-minister-mossadegh-taken-hostage
Operation Ajax: The Plot to Overthrow Iranian Prime Minister Mossadegh | Taken Hostage | PBS LearningMedia
Learn how the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) conspired to overthrow Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953 in this video from American Experience. Iranians’ growing intolerance of foreign control of their oil reserves clashed with Western interests in the country.
Published May 8, 2023
NYTimes
nytimes.com › library › world › mideast › 041600iran-coup-timeline.html
Nytimes
CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE · • Support grows for the nationalization of Iran's oil industry
Mossadegh
mossadegh.com › index.php › en › mohammad-mossadegh › coup-d-etat-of-1953
Coup d'Etat of 1953
The 1953 Iranian coup d'état (known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup) saw the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh on 19 August 1953 and the installation of a military government. This coup was orchestrated by the intelligence agencies ...
NCRI
ncr-iran.org › home › iran news now › iran opposition & resistance › the 1953 coup in iran: a turning point in dictatorship and foreign...
The 1953 Coup in Iran: A Turning Point in Dictatorship and Foreign Domination - NCRI
August 19, 2025 - For historians, the coup was a watershed moment: the consolidation of foreign domination, the entrenchment of authoritarian rule, and the silencing of democratic aspirations. The overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh—who had led the national movement to reclaim Iran’s oil industry from British control—was executed through a sinister alliance of external imperial powers and internal reactionary forces.
Council on Foreign Relations
cfr.org › ten-best-ten-worst-us-foreign-policy-decisions › support-for-the-overthrow-of-iranian-prime-minister-mohammad-mosaddegh
Support for the Overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq - The 10 Best and 10 Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions - The 10 Best 10 Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions
5 days ago - Mohammad Mosaddeq became prime minister of Iran in April 1951. An ardent nationalist, he rose to power by challenging Great Britain’s dominance of Iran’s economy and politics. A month before becoming prime minister, Mosaddeq led the effort by the Iranian Majlis (parliament) to nationalize the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), which the British government controlled.