How a 1953 CIA-backed coup set the stage for US-Iran tensions
The article explores the historical context of the 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran, which removed Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. It argues that this event remains a foundational cause of the current geopolitical mistrust between the United States and Iran.
Why it matters
Understanding the 1953 coup is essential for analyzing the long-term roots of modern US-Iran diplomatic and military tensions.
The United States and Iran are once again caught in a dangerous military confrontation. The hostility between the two countries did not begin with the latest strikes and goes back long. For decades, Washington and Tehran have been locked in a bitter rivalry shaped by political distrust, regional conflicts and a history of foreign intervention.More than 70 years ago, the CIA helped organise a secret operation that removed Iran’s elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and strengthened the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.That operation, known as Operation Ajax, became one of the earliest major examples of a US-backed regime change effort.
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