U.S. role in iran
InformationIranian oil was Britain's main source of income during World War II. Through the Anglo Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), Britain remained powerful throughout the postwar period. Iran's oil was crucial to Britain's success. Britain's major source of revenue was threatened by a new and very nationalistic Iranian Prime Minister, Mohammed Mossadeq. He nationalized the oil production in Iran. This action brought him into conflict with pro-western elites and the Shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlevi. U.S. Officials had been watching the events with suspicion and British intelligence sources worked with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to come to the conclusion that Mossadeq had communist preferences and would move Iran into the Soviet orbit if he stayed in power.
|
The CIA and British Intelligence worked together with the Shah to engineer a plan to overthrow Mossadeq. The Iranian Prime Minister heard of this and ordered his followers to take the streets in protest. In the mean time, the Shah left the country due to "medical reasons" and British Intelligence backed off while the CIA continued its undercover missions in Iran. Working with the Shah and the Iranian Military, the CIA snuck its way into influence and helped form another coup to overthrow Mossadeq. Finally, on August 19, 1953, the military, backed by the street protests funded by the CIA, overthrew Mossadeq. The Shah returned quickly and came back to power and signed over 40% of Iran's oil fields to U.S. companies..
Analysis |
With the Shah's help in overthrowing Mossadeq, he became one of the United States' most trusted cold war allies. As a form of repayment and allied support, U.S. economic and military aid was sent into Iran during the 1950s through 1970s to help build up the Shah's government. Due to the close ties to the United States and Western influence, many anti-Shah and anti-American protests broke out in Iran and in 1979 the Shah was toppled from power. This confidence of anti-American feelings led to angry militants seizing the American Embassy and holding American staff members hostage until January 1981. This shows America that nationalism is a threat just like communism.
|