Normanfrankelestian
Operation Ajax
In 1953, Britain and America ran a joint operation called Operation Ajax. The mission was simple. Remove Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh.
Not because he was a threat to his people.
But because he had the audacity to nationalise Iran’s oil and take it back from British control.
So they did what they always do. They destabilised the country from the inside.
Here’s exactly how the playbook worked:
1. They overthrew a leader the people actually chose.
The Iranian people voted for Mosaddegh. He was their democratic choice. And two Western governments sat in a room, drew up a plan, and said “we don’t care what your people want.” They funded fake protests.
They bought off politicians and military generals. They planted stories in newspapers to turn public opinion.
And when the dust settled, Mosaddegh was gone.
The same America that lectures the entire world about democracy, freedom, and the will of the people literally overthrew a democratically elected leader because he didn’t serve their interests.
That is not democracy. That is colonialism dressed up in a suit and tie.
2. They then installed a puppet ruler and backed his brutal regime for 26 years.
Once Mosaddegh was removed, the Shah was placed on the throne with Western hands pulling every string.
And for the next 26 years, from 1953 to 1979, the
United States openly supported his authoritarian rule.
But it wasn’t just political support. They helped him build SAVAK, one of the most feared secret police forces in modern history.
The United States played a fundamental role in transforming Iran
The United States played a fundamental role in transforming Iran from its trajectory in the 1960s and 70s into the adversarial Islamic Republic it is today.
This transformation was primarily driven by two key phases of U.S. intervention:
1. The 1953 Coup (The Foundation)
The turning point began earlier than the 60s. In 1953, the CIA and British intelligence orchestrated a coup (Operation Ajax) to overthrow Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, who had nationalized the country's oil industry.
Result: The U.S. reinstated the Shah (Mohammad Reza Pahlavi) as an absolute monarch.
Impact: This intervention destroyed Iran’s secular democratic prospects and planted deep anti-American sentiment, as Iranians viewed the Shah as a puppet of the West.
2. Unconditional Support in the 1960s & 1970s
During these decades, the U.S. cemented the Shah's power, viewing him as a vital Cold War ally and "policeman of the Gulf."
Military Buildup: In the 1970s, especially under President Nixon, the U.S. sold the Shah virtually any non-nuclear weapon he wanted, including advanced F-14 fighter jets. Iran became the largest purchaser of U.S. arms, fueled by the 1973 oil boom.
Authoritarian Backing: The U.S. helped train the Shah’s secret police, SAVAK, which became notorious for torturing and imprisoning dissidents. The U.S. largely overlooked these human rights abuses to maintain regional stability.
Nuclear Program: Ironically, the U.S. also launched Iran's nuclear program in the 1950s and 60s under the "Atoms for Peace" initiative, providing the country with its first nuclear reactor.
The Turning Point: The 1979 Revolution
The specific "turn" to what Iran is today occurred in 1979. The Iranian people, enraged by the Shah’s corruption, Westernization campaigns, and brutal repression (all seen as U.S.-backed), rose up in the Islamic Revolution.
The Shift: The revolution replaced the pro-American monarchy with a theocratic, anti-American Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini.
Hostage Crisis: The admission of the exiled Shah into the U.S. for medical treatment triggered the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the taking of American hostages, permanently severing relations.
Summary
The U.S. turned Iran into "what it is today" by suppressing democratic nationalism in 1953 and then fueling an autocratic monarchy for 25 years. This created a radical backlash that birthed the current anti-Western theocracy, setting the stage for the decades of sanctions, proxy conflicts, and nuclear tensions that define the relationship now.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
