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The Shaw had tried to take back power that had passed to the democratically elected portion of government earlier in 1953. This was unpopular, and he was force

The Shaw had tried to take back power that had passed to the democratically elected portion of government earlier in 1953. This was unpopular, and he was forced to flee. After the US and UK led coup removed Mosadedeq, they brought the Shaw back to Iran, and installed him as ruler. In return, the Shaw repealed the legislation that Mosaddeq had spearheaded to nationalize Iran's oil fields. The Shaw was in exile at the time of the US and UK led coup.

leereeves 4y ago
You're leaving out the fact that Mosaddegh was trying to set himself up as the dictator of Iran. In 1952, he began invoking emergency powers and arresting his opponents, and in 1953, shortly before the coup that put the Shah back in power, he dissolved the Iranian Parliament, justified by a referendum in which 99.9% of votes were in favor (probably because votes were cast in public and voters were intimidated - no fair election has an outcome like that). That was the start of the power struggle and the CIA wasn't even involved yet. The Shah issued a royal order dismissing Mosaddegh as Prime Minister (an action legally allowed by the Iranian constitution at the time), but Mosaddegh refused to step down and arrested the commander of the Shah's Imperial Guard, who had delivered the royal order. That's when the Shah fled to Baghdad and accepted US help. So you see, he was not in "exile" when the struggle began (in fact, he was only out of the country for a few days); he fled only after Mosaddegh arrested the commander of his Imperial Guard. You also left out the fact that the actual coup was carried out by Iranian citizens and Iranian military forces whose leaders were loyal to the Shah. The CIA assisted, but their role in the whole thing has been exaggerated. Some portray the CIA as an omnipotent mastermind responsible for everything that happens in the world, but usually, as in this case, they're simply taking sides in existing power struggles.

leereeves 4y ago

You're leaving out the fact that Mosaddegh was trying to set himself up as the dictator of Iran. In 1952, he began invoking emergency powers and arresting his opponents, and in 1953, shortly before the coup that put the Shah back in power, he dissolved the Iranian Parliament, justified by a referendum in which 99.9% of votes were in favor (probably because votes were cast in public and voters were intimidated - no fair election has an outcome like that). That was the start of the power struggle and the CIA wasn't even involved yet. The Shah issued a royal order dismissing Mosaddegh as Prime Minister (an action legally allowed by the Iranian constitution at the time), but Mosaddegh refused to step down and arrested the commander of the Shah's Imperial Guard, who had delivered the royal order. That's when the Shah fled to Baghdad and accepted US help. So you see, he was not in "exile" when the struggle began (in fact, he was only out of the country for a few days); he fled only after Mosaddegh arrested the commander of his Imperial Guard. You also left out the fact that the actual coup was carried out by Iranian citizens and Iranian military forces whose leaders were loyal to the Shah. The CIA assisted, but their role in the whole thing has been exaggerated. Some portray the CIA as an omnipotent mastermind responsible for everything that happens in the world, but usually, as in this case, they're simply taking sides in existing power struggles.