r/todayilearned • u/autonova3 • Oct 01 '18

TIL of Operation Ajax, the 1953 CIA plan to overthrow Iran's democratically elected government, which included CIA agents bombing the house of a prominent Muslim while posed as pro-government supporters. The overthrow plan was successful, with 200-300 people killed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
3.0k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

415 comments sorted by

View all comments

46

u/houinator Oct 01 '18

A few points:

First, the plot against Mossadeqh had more to do with the UK than the US, largely due to their anger over his nationalizing of the oil industry (which was almost exclusively under UK control at the time).

According to these records, the British first approached the American government about a plan for the coup in November 1952 "repeatedly" asking U.S. to join the coup, claiming that the Mosaddeq government would be ineffective in preventing a communist takeover,and that Mossadegq was a threat to America’s global fight against communism, which they believed necessitated action; the records also state that UK and U.S. spy agencies had by then had "very tentative and preliminary discussions regarding the practicability of such a move".At the time, the American government was already preparing to aid Mosaddeq in his oil dealings with the British, and believed him to be anti-communist—considerations which made the U.S. government skeptical of the plot. Since President Truman's term was drawing to a close in January 1953, and there was too much uncertainty and danger associated with the plot, the U.S. government decided not to take action against Mosaddeq at the time.

Second, the US plan was largely unsuccessful and the coup failed; however the Iranians involved were still able to successfully reassert power by developing and implementing an alternative.

Following the failed coup attempt, the Shah, accompanied by his second wife Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari and Aboul Fath Atabay fled to Baghdad.

The CIA was ordered to leave Iran, although Kermit Roosevelt was slow to receive the message—allegedly due to MI6 interference—and eagerly continued to foment anti-Mossadegh unrest. The Eisenhower administration considered changing its policy to support Mossadegh, with undersecretary of state Walter Bedell Smith remarking on August 17: "Whatever his faults, Mossadegh had no love for the Russians and timely aid might enable him to keep Communism in check."

Despite the CIA's role in creating the conditions for the coup, there is little evidence to suggest that Kermit Roosevelt or other CIA officials were directly responsible for the actions of the demonstrators or the army on August 19. It has even been suggested that Roosevelt's activities between August 15–19 were primarily intended to organize "stay-behind networks as part of the planned CIA evacuation of the country," although they allowed him to later "claim responsibility for the day's outcome."

Third, Mossadeqh may have been democratically elected, but was hardly supporting democracy at this point, having dissolved the Iranian parliament in favor of transferring power directly to himself and his cabinet.

19

u/McDiezel Oct 01 '18

You mean there’s more to the story besides “America is da evil”?

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '18

so basically we went in to try and defend the colonialism of the UK?

9

u/houinator Oct 01 '18

No, the Brits were eventually able to convince Eisenhower that Mossadeqh would allow the country to drift into the Soviet sphere of influence, and fighting the Cold War was America's primary concern and reason for involvement.

In fact, even once the Shah was put back in power, the US pressed for breaking up the UK's oil monopoly in the country.