TEHRAN – An Iranian court has opened the trial of the U.S. government and its officials for their role in the 1953 coup against the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.
The first session took place on Sunday, the 71st anniversary of the coup, in the 55th Branch of the Court of International Affairs in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Court Complex.
This lawsuit, filed by some 402,000 Iranians, targets six American individuals and entities for their involvement in the overthrow of Mossadegh, which paved the way for the pro-Western monarchy of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi until the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Attorney Shami Aghdam, representing the plaintiffs, stated that “documents show that the US intelligence agency CIA, with the help of its British counterpart MI6, planned the coup on August 19, 1953, using internal and external agents against the legitimate government of Iran.”
Aghdam further stated that Washington and London “planned the military coup by violating international principles and rules and interfering in Iran’s internal affairs with the intention of maintaining their influence and power in the government, securing their interests and plundering the country’s property.”
He added that the coup was carried out by military and political figures linked to the US and British governments, as well as “thugs.” Aghdam concluded by stating: “In fact, the coup marked the beginning of Washington’s complete domination of Iran to make it more dependent than before and prevent its independence and progress. The rule lasted for more than 25 years and caused both material and spiritual damage to the country and the nation.”
Mossadegh’s fall was the starting point of US hostilities against Iran
The 1953 coup in Iran is referred to as Operation Ajax by the United States and its less involved ally Britain. The coup took place after the British took exception to Mossadegh’s decision to nationalize Iran’s oil industry, which was previously controlled by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC). This move angered Britain, which was heavily dependent on Iranian oil.
After London failed to force the Iranian Prime Minister to reverse his decision by imposing an economic blockade, it was decided to ask for direct help from the Americans. Mossadegh believed that they could be a reliable partner for Iran in the absence of Great Britain.
The CIA, under the direction of Kermit Roosevelt Jr., began planning the coup in early 1953. The goal of the operation was to create unrest and discredit Mossadegh, while garnering support for the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The CIA’s main tool for stirring up public discontent against Mossadegh was propaganda. The Americans portrayed the leader as a communist threat, but also funded opposition groups and organized violent demonstrations.
On August 19, 1953, the coup was carried out. Initially there were setbacks, but after some strategic adjustments and further unrest, forces loyal to the Shah took control of Tehran. Mossadegh was arrested and the Shah was reinstated with even more power.
As many historians and leading Iranian figures and politicians have explained, the coup that overthrew Mossadegh in 1953 opened the floodgates for decades of American interference in Iran’s internal affairs. While the uprising was bitter, it also became the first lesson Iranians learned about the Americans: that the United States cannot be trusted to respect the sovereignty, integrity and independence of other countries.
“There are people who say we should somehow compromise with the US because that way their hostilities might decrease. No, (that is not correct). They did not even show mercy to those who trusted, put their hopes in the US and turned to it for help,” declared Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei during a gathering in 2017. “Who, for example? Dr. Mossadegh. To fight and oppose the English – that was what he wanted to do – he turned to the Americans. He met with them, negotiated with them and asked them for help. He trusted them. (But) the coup of 28 Mordad (1953 coup) was not carried out by the English, but by the US against Mossadegh.”
By Soheila Zarfam
