Iran's 1953 Coup Revisited: Internal Dynamics versus External Intrigue

Author: Mokhtari, Fariborz

Source: The Middle East Journal, Volume 62, Number 3, Summer 2008 , pp. 457-488(32)

Publisher: Middle East Institute

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Abstract:

Fifty-five years ago a coup d'état ended Prime Minister Muhammad Mosaddeq's government in Iran on August 19, 1953. Numerous books and articles have analyzed the event but often have overlooked Iran's domestic dynamics. What is presented is nearly always a conspiracy theory that suggests American and British masters of intrigue subverted Iran entirely through their shady operators. The picture portrays Iranians as little more than inanimate objects — a nation of potted plants. Even now over half a century later, and three decades after the fall of Iran's monarchy, misperceptions persist. A review of the coup and what precipitated it may offer some needed clarity.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.3751/62.3.15

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