Mosaddegh’s Downfall: Iran’s Encounters with the West

Mosaddegh’s Downfall

Iran Encounters with the West

The democratically elected government of Mosaddegh faced a lot of problems in the early 1950s. As a major oil supplier, Iran was at the center of the Cold War, and the American government became increasingly concerned with Mosaddegh’s position toward Cold War policies. This became the main cause of his downfall. The British government, in a way, played an even greater role in Mosaddegh’s fall from power than the Americans because Britain controlled most of Iran’s oil well. Thus it is fair to say that Britain was behind Mosaddegh’s fall from power. The United States and Great Britain strongly influenced Iran’s affairs, but the biggest problems for Mosaddegh were internal problems. These internal problems included high unemployment, low wages, nepotism, and corruption. The power of the monarchy was waning, as Mosaddegh tried to end the monarchy’s dependence on oil profits. In this case, it is important to understand the cold war context and the international oil cartels to come up with an objective point of view, and conclusion regarding the entire issue that catalyzed the coup.

Context of the Cold War

The Iranian oil became a pivotal aspect of the world’s economy. Iran and the Soviet Union depended on oil for a good portion of their oil revenue. According to Jenkins (2021) much of Mosaddegh’s economic policies made Iran dependent on a single foreign country, which also angered the other oil-producing countries. The British government took advantage of the power that it had in Iran. Britain was still a major industrial nation during this period, and its major industries were based on oil. Britain owns most of the oil wells in Iran. Britain deeply opposed Mosaddegh’s nationalization of Iranian oil because it would produce huge losses for Britain (Jenkins, 2021). Britain was also fearful that the nationalization of Iranian oil would set a precedent for other countries to follow. This was the reason why Mosaddegh’s government became very hostile to the British government.

The coup in Iran happened during the Cold War, and the CIA aided its facilitation. It is important to note that the Cold War strongly impacted Iranian politics. The country’s location, size, and resources turned Iran into a battlefield during the cold war. The British government was also worried about the increasing threat of communism in Iran (Laugesen & Rahimi-Moghaddam, 2022). The British government also helped the United States to bring about the downfall of Mosaddegh. Britain cut off diplomatic relations with Iran, and this move was followed by an oil embargo which increased the pressure on Iran’s economy. This embargo forced Mosaddegh to appeal for help to the Soviet Union for a loan. The United States and Britain saw this as a strategic opportunity to add to their pressure on the Soviet Union. The United States feared that Mosaddegh might turn more favorable to the West and make it more difficult for the US to dominate Soviet influence in Iran. With these events, it is evident that the British government had a crucial role in the downfall of Mosaddegh. The British government had the power to influence the Iranian affairs during this time period greatly. Likewise, we can conclude that Britain greatly influenced Mosaddegh’s fall from power.

The Oil Cartels

Even though Britain was behind Mosaddegh’s fall from power, it is also important to understand the impact of international oil cartels on his downfall. The international oil cartels also influenced Mosaddegh’s downfall (Torbat, 2020). This is due to the fact that the oil cartels greatly impacted the Iranian economy. When the British and American governments increased their pressure on Mosaddegh, he resorted to seeking help from these oil consortiums. These were very powerful organizations that held a monopoly over a share of Iran’s oil production and distribution. The international oil corporations could make or break an entire nation’s economy, as they control all aspects of an economy.

The aspect of nationalization played a pivotal part in risking the U.S and the Great Britain’s oil supply. The enactment of the nationalization law implied that the Iranian oil production would be taken over by the government, which ultimately resulted in the restriction of oil supplies (Jenkins, 2021). Thus, Mosaddegh’s nationalization law threatened the interests and long-run survival of both Britain and America. The British government was directly involved in overthrowing Mosaddegh’s position because Iran was among the top countries that contributed to Britain’s oil supply. The international oil cartels were also powerful enough to influence Iran’s government. As a result, the nationalization of Iran’s oil was the first step down the path of confrontation between Britain and Mosaddegh.

Conclusion

While evaluating the two fronts, it is evident that they played a massive part in Mosaddegh’s downfall. Although several contributing factors made Mosaddegh fall from power, these two main factors were the most important of all. The British government was greatly involved in Mosaddegh’s downfall because Britain owned most of Iran’s oil well. This is directly linked to the ability to impact Iran’s oil supply and, consequently, its economy strongly. Even so, one can affirm that the interference of the two nations (Great Britain and the US) played an enormous part in ensuring the occurrence of the 1953 coup. Order Similar Paper Now

References

Jenkins, P. (2021). Decolonization and Third World Struggles. In A Global History of the Cold War, 1945-1991 (pp. 91-105). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Laugesen, A., & Rahimi-Moghaddam, M. (2022). Franklin book programs in Iran (Ca 1953–1978) and the politics of translation during the Cold War. Translation Studies, 15(2), 155-172. https://doi.org/10.1080/14781700.2021.2020685

Torbat, A. E. (2020). The Oil Nationalization Dispute and the Coup. In Politics of Oil and Nuclear Technology in Iran (pp. 93-118). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.