Iran and the U.S., Part One | Throughline  ## Metadata - Author: [[NPR Podcasts]] - Full Title: Iran and the U.S., Part One | Throughline - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: [#Iran1953, #USForeignPolicy, #Throughline, #Coup, #ColdWarHistory, #OilPolitics, #RegimeChange, #MediaManipulation] - #Iran1953 - #USForeignPolicy - #Throughline Author: NPR Throughline Team (Rund Abdelfatah, Ramtin Arablouei, et al.) Source: Throughline Podcast (NPR), YouTube, episode: "Iran and the U.S., Part One" Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0 date created: 2025-07-01 14:05 --- # Title: Iran and the U.S., Part One — Throughline (1953 Coup & Its Legacy) ## Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📖 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-belonging-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🔍 DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis-prompt) - [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#-seo-evaluation) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) --- ### References - [Iran and the U.S., Part One | Throughline (NPR)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0) - "All the Shah's Men" by Stephen Kinzer - Interviews with Dr. Ibrahim Nouri, Roya Hakakian, and others as cited in the episode --- ## 📝 Summary: This episode of NPR’s Throughline examines the 1953 coup in Iran orchestrated by the CIA and British intelligence, which overthrew the country’s elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh. The story explores the coup’s background, the players involved (including Kermit Roosevelt), the manipulation of media and alliances, and the deep, lasting impacts on Iranian society and U.S.-Iran relations. The episode also challenges the simplistic view that U.S. intervention alone is to blame, highlighting the role of Iranian clergy and internal dynamics, and drawing connections between 1953, the 1979 Revolution, and ongoing tensions. --- ## 📖 Main Content: Throughline’s retelling spotlights the intertwined histories of Iran and the U.S. from the coup to today. The podcast blends narration, expert interviews, archival audio, and personal stories to unpack the following core themes: - The 1953 coup was a pivotal event in global politics, toppling Iran’s first democratically elected leader, Mohammad Mosaddegh, to protect Western oil interests and curb perceived communist influence. - U.S. and British operatives—most notably Kermit Roosevelt—used propaganda, bribery, and alliances with Iranian clergy to destabilize the government. - The coup’s aftermath brought the Shah’s dictatorship, suppression of democracy, and ultimately led to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis. - The episode details the manipulation of public opinion via press corruption, use of criminal gangs, and orchestration of street chaos to justify regime change. - Modern U.S.-Iran relations are deeply rooted in mutual mistrust and parallel narratives about this history, with both countries’ actions (and inactions) shaping decades of resentment. - Iranian voices in the episode highlight Mosaddegh as a national hero and the coup as an enduring trauma, while U.S. hosts confront the legacy and complicity of American foreign policy. - The episode challenges listeners to acknowledge both U.S. and Iranian responsibility for the country’s democratic derailment and ongoing conflict. ### 🗒️ Notes - **The Coup and Its Orchestration** - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0&t=4): U.S. and Britain conspired to remove Mossadegh. - Initiated under Eisenhower, using CIA operative Kermit Roosevelt. - Press bribed; anti-Mossadegh propaganda and fake news spread widely. - [07:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0&t=426): CIA paid both mobs and clerics. - Alliances with influential mullahs to denounce Mossadegh as un-Islamic. - Used chaos and violence in Tehran to manufacture a crisis. - [13:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0&t=806): The oil crisis and British interests. - Britain wanted to keep Iranian oil profits. - U.S. justified intervention by invoking anti-communism. - [19:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0&t=1187): Aftermath of the failed first coup attempt. - Mosaddegh survived temporarily; the Shah fled Iran. - Roosevelt did not give up, launching a second, successful coup. - [27:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0&t=1660): Final coup was brutal. - Criminal gangs instigated violence; 300+ killed, many wounded. - Mosaddegh’s house attacked; he was captured, tried, and sentenced. - **Legacies and Narratives** - [32:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0&t=1926): The Shah’s dictatorship followed. - Iran’s oil again favored Western interests; democracy suppressed. - Mosaddegh’s memory erased by the Shah, but endured in popular imagination. - [34:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0&t=2051): 1979 Revolution. - Rising resentment led to revolution; hostage crisis invoked 1953 as justification. - [38:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0&t=2306): Ongoing US-Iran tensions. - Parallel historical narratives; both U.S. and Iranian clergy share blame. - Original “sin” of 1953 still shapes the relationship. - **Personal Stories and Analysis** - Iranian voices remember Mosaddegh as a symbol of lost democracy. - Howard Baskerville, an American, fought for Iranian constitutionalism—contrasts sharply with later U.S. intervention. - Historians like Roya Hakakian highlight the clergy’s long-term power play and their part in suppressing democracy. --- ## 📖 References: - [Throughline: Iran and the U.S., Part One (NPR, YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0) - Stephen Kinzer, "All the Shah's Men" - Interviews: Dr. Ibrahim Nouri, Roya Hakakian, et al. --- ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1. **Original:** “The U.S. justified its involvement in Iran by framing it as an anti-communist measure during the Cold War, though there was little real evidence that Mossadegh posed such a threat. Instead, American fears were stoked by British economic interests and the desire to maintain control over global oil supplies.” **Paraphrased:** Although America claimed it overthrew Iran’s leader to fight communism, there was little substance to that argument. The real motivation came from Britain’s wish to protect its oil profits, and U.S. leaders went along to preserve Western influence in the region. 2. **Original:** “Iran’s 1979 Revolution and the hostage crisis are often seen as the key turning points in U.S.-Iran relations. But for Iranians, the true starting point was the 1953 coup—a trauma that shaped their national identity and trust in the West.” **Paraphrased:** While Americans tend to focus on the 1979 embassy crisis, for Iranians, the real rupture began in 1953 with the coup. That event deeply affected their sense of national sovereignty and fueled decades of suspicion toward the United States. --- ## 📰 Newsletter: 🇮🇷 **History’s Echo: 1953 Iran Coup Shapes Today’s US-Iran Relations** Curious why US-Iran relations feel like déjà vu? NPR’s Throughline unpacks the original drama: the 1953 CIA-backed coup that toppled Iran’s democratic prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh. Oil greed, media manipulation, and Cold War paranoia fueled a playbook of regime change that left scars lasting generations. The episode lays bare not just American fingerprints, but the complicity of local clergy and the heartbreak of ordinary Iranians. From Mossadegh’s fight for oil nationalization to the Shah’s brutal reign and the 1979 revolution, it’s a cautionary tale of outside interference, propaganda, and unintended consequences. If you want to understand Iran, the “original sin” isn’t 1979—it’s 1953. Listen in, and remember: history doesn’t just repeat—it broadcasts. 🔗 [Listen to the full episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0) Recommended reading: *All the Shah’s Men* by Stephen Kinzer. --- ## ✅ Action Items: - **For Educators/Advocates:** - Use this case to highlight the long-term consequences of foreign intervention in sovereign states. - Develop workshops or curriculum modules on media literacy, especially regarding propaganda in historical context. - **For Open Source/WordPress Community:** - Draw parallels between manipulation of narratives and the need for transparent, decentralized information ecosystems. - Emphasize lessons about institutional transparency and the dangers of power concentrated without accountability—apply these to governance and contributor community structures. - **For OSPO/Program Leads:** - Consider how unchecked influence (internal or external) can destabilize otherwise healthy communities. - Foster mentorship programs to surface hidden voices and avoid “kingmaker” scenarios. - Advocate for historical awareness in leadership training—use case studies like 1953 Iran to illustrate the impact of decisions made behind closed doors. --- ## 🧪 Hypotheses: 1. Historical interventions by foreign powers erode public trust and hinder democratic development for generations. 2. Media manipulation during pivotal political moments leads to long-term public skepticism of both domestic and international institutions. 3. Inclusion of diverse local actors in governance processes increases resilience against outside interference. ### 📊 Methodology: - **Comparative Historical Analysis:** - Compare democratic trajectories of countries that experienced similar coups to those that did not. - **Archival Research:** - Analyze declassified documents, press archives, and oral histories for evidence of narrative manipulation. - **Surveys/Interviews:** - Collect public opinion data in Iran and the U.S. about perceptions of 1953 and subsequent relations. - **Network Analysis:** - Map relationships between political, religious, and media actors before and after the coup. ### ❓ Questions: - How did the 1953 coup shape collective memory in Iran versus the U.S.? - What role does media play in enabling or resisting regime change? - Could a more transparent approach by foreign actors have led to different outcomes? - How might open source and decentralized networks reduce vulnerability to manipulation? ### 🔮 Future Research: - Longitudinal studies on how historical trauma impacts current geopolitical decision-making. - Impact assessments of media literacy initiatives in countries with a legacy of propaganda. - Research on the effectiveness of local governance in resisting foreign intervention. ### 💡 Implications: - Could reshape how foreign policy is taught, emphasizing caution and accountability. - May influence open-source governance models by reinforcing the value of transparency and decentralized control. - Could support advocacy for robust, community-driven journalism and media education. --- ## 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: **Readability:** - Estimated at grade 10-12 level due to historical context and some technical language. **Learning Styles:** - **Visual:** - *Present:* Podcast art, some historical photos (on YouTube or website). - *Improve:* Add infographics/timelines mapping events and actors. - **Aural:** - *Present:* Strong; audio storytelling, music, voices. - *Improve:* Provide a downloadable transcript and audio highlights. - **Verbal:** - *Present:* Engaging narrative, clear explanations, expert interviews. - *Improve:* Add supplementary reading lists, written analysis. - **Kinesthetic:** - *Present:* None directly. - *Improve:* Suggest role-play exercises, simulations of decision-making scenarios. - **Logical:** - *Present:* Sequence of events and cause/effect laid out clearly. - *Improve:* More explicit discussion of causal relationships, summary diagrams. - **Social:** - *Present:* Collaborative interview format; diverse voices. - *Improve:* Create spaces for listener discussion/forums. - **Solitary:** - *Present:* Reflection prompts in narration. - *Improve:* Offer journaling prompts, further questions for solo reflection. - **Naturalistic:** - *Present:* Minimal. - *Improve:* Use analogies to resource extraction, sustainability. --- ## 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - **Screen Reader Compatibility:** - Depends on the platform; transcripts are available but could be more prominently linked. - **Keyboard Navigation:** - Standard YouTube and NPR sites support keyboard navigation, but navigation for transcripts may be improved. - **Contrast and Readability:** - Audio content—contrast less of an issue; written transcript should use high-contrast colors. - **Text Resizing:** - Responsive design mostly present; transcripts could be provided in accessible formats (plain text, PDF). **Suggestions:** - Clearly link and format transcripts. - Add alt-text to all supporting images. - Ensure all web elements are keyboard accessible. --- ## 🌍 DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Assessment: - **Cultural Relevance:** - Diverse Iranian and American perspectives represented; includes women, diaspora, clergy, secular voices. - **Inclusive Language:** - Generally neutral and accessible; avoids jargon. - **Neurodiversity Support:** - Audio plus transcript helps various needs; could further break up transcript for clarity. - **Representation:** - Mix of personal and academic voices, includes underrepresented perspectives in mainstream U.S. narratives. - **Psychological Safety:** - Sensitive to trauma (revolution, violence); respectful of all sides. **Suggestions:** - Offer content warnings for descriptions of violence/coups. - Explicitly invite diverse listener feedback. - Highlight and amplify lesser-heard Iranian voices in follow-up episodes. --- ## ✅ Logical Validity: **Positive Reasoning:** - **Sound Inductive Reasoning:** - Connects historical events to modern-day consequences; draws from primary sources and expert analysis. - **Balanced/Nuanced Views:** - Acknowledges U.S. and Iranian clergy as both playing roles in undermining democracy. - **Logical Flow:** - Chronological and thematic organization strengthens the argument. - **Coherent Counterarguments:** - Addresses both dominant and revisionist narratives; considers complexity of motives. **Possible Fallacies:** - **Appeal to Emotion:** - Some storytelling uses emotional cues to build empathy (acceptable for this format but worth noting). - **Hasty Generalization:** - Risk when drawing parallels between 1953 and all subsequent U.S.-Iran conflicts; mostly avoided by explicit nuance. **Tone:** - Professional, journalistic, and reflective. Prioritizes transparency over sensationalism. --- ## 🔍 DARVO Analysis Prompt **Deny:** - No explicit denial; the episode openly acknowledges U.S. involvement and its consequences. **Attack:** - Does not attack individuals; critiques systems and choices rather than personal attributes. **Reverse Victim and Offender:** - Avoids victim-blaming; instead, discusses shared and distributed responsibility among multiple parties (U.S., Britain, Iranian clergy). **Emotional Cues:** - Empathy for ordinary Iranians and for misunderstood historical actors. - Critical of power structures, not people. **No DARVO tactics detected**—if anything, the show models how to resist them by addressing uncomfortable truths head-on. --- ## 🔍 SEO Evaluation - **Keywords:** - Well-integrated: "1953 Iran coup", "Mosaddegh", "U.S.-Iran relations", "CIA", "Throughline podcast". - **Keyword Placement:** - In title, description, and throughout content. - **Meta Description:** - Recommend: "Throughline unpacks the 1953 Iran coup, U.S. and British involvement, and how it shaped US-Iran relations for decades." - **Title Tag:** - Concise and on-topic. - **Headers:** - Used logically (podcast and YouTube platforms may limit custom headers). - **Content Length:** - Long-form podcast with transcript—good depth. - **Internal/External Links:** - Episode links to sources; can add more to related content on NPR. - **URL Structure:** - Clear and SEO-friendly. - **Image Optimization:** - Episode art present; alt-text needed. - **Mobile Optimization:** - NPR and YouTube are responsive. - **User Engagement:** - High; encourages discussion, offers contact info. - **Schema Markup:** - Likely present on NPR/YouTube; verify for podcast/article schema. - **Social Sharing:** - Enabled on both platforms. --- ## 🎯 Conclusion: Throughline’s exploration of the 1953 coup in Iran is a compelling, multi-layered history lesson showing how foreign intervention, local power struggles, and propaganda left scars still visible in U.S.-Iran relations. By incorporating diverse voices and challenging one-sided blame, the episode models critical thinking, transparency, and empathy—qualities vital for global citizenship and, frankly, open source community building too. The lesson? Our pasts aren’t just prologue—they’re part of the code running our present. 3. - Summary: The U.S. and Iran have had a tense relationship for decades — but when did that begin? This week, we feature our very first episode about an event from August 1953 — when the CIA helped to overthrow Iran's prime minister. This episode originally ran as Four Days in August (https://www.npr.org/2019/07/10/740510559/four-days-in-august) . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) NPR Privacy Policy (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) - URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6KAN-U_9f0 Support for NPR and the followingmessage comes from Indeed. You justrealized your business needed to hiresomeone yesterday. Speed up your hiringright now with Indeed. Claim your $75sponsored job credit to get your jobsmore visibility at indeed.com/npr.Terms and conditions apply. Hey, it’s Rund. We’re all watching thecurrent conflict between the UnitedStates and Iran, and it got us thinkingabout the origins of the incrediblycomplex relationship between these twocountries. Today, we’re bringing you thevery first episode of Throughline, thestory of how the US overthrew Iran’sdemocratically elected prime ministerback in 1953.It first ran in 2019, but it’s just asrelevant today as it was then. [Music]August 15th, 1953.Shortly before midnight in Tehran,Iran’s capital city, the air was thickwith anticipation. Something big wasabout to happen. The elected primeminister of Iran, Muhammad Mosaddegh, wassitting at home waiting. He knewsomething was coming. And he had no ideaif he’d still be prime minister byMorning. So with each tick, tick, tick ofthe clock, he knew that the future ofIran was at stake. One truckload of presidential guardsoldiers were going to Mosaddegh's house atmidnight. Their mission was simple. Goto Mosaddegh's house in the middle of thenight. Knock on the door, tell him he'sfired. Mosaddegh would then protestundoubtedly and say, "You can't fire me.I'm elected." And at that point, youwould arrest him. That failed because Mossad found outabout the arrest. News of it leaked out.Then there was a bit of panic amongthe army that was supposed to come outand support the arrest of Mosaddegh.The phone lines were supposed to be cut.They were not cut.So there were a number of missteps thattook place. And when the soldiersarrived at Mosaddegh's house to arrest him,other soldiers jumped out of the woodsand arrested those guys. Mosaddegh's forceshad foiled a coup attempt. He would stayPrime Minister. But little did he knowthat night was just the beginning of amuch bigger battle to come and it wouldchange the future of Iran and America.Iran's British-hating Premier Mosaddegh. Arrived in Cairo. Premier Mased is a newtestimony to three days of bloodyrioting culminating in a military coup.For the first time now, the CIA hasreleased documents that show its role inthe 1953 coup. You're listening toThroughline, where we go back in timeto understand the present.[Music][Laughter][Music]All right, Romin, you were born in Iranand you've spent a bunch of time there. So, I'm curious, how much had you heardabout this American coup growing up? Idefinitely heard stuff about it. Um,especially from my father, um, who wouldremind me all the time, like, the onlyreason we're here in the US is becauseof what the US did to our democracy in1953, right? And, um, I would alwaysjust kind of brush it off likewhatever, that couldn't have happened.This is just like Iranian conspiracytheory stuff, right? But as I grew up, Irealized the US actually did interferein Iran's politics in 1953. I'm going tobe honest, like, I didn't have much of anidea about this going into the episode.And it's like a really big shockingIt’s a thing to not have much of an idea about. Um, because I always thought that 1979was the real pivotal moment, right? Thatthe Iranian Revolution that happenedthat year and the hostage crisis at theAmerican embassy; those were the thingsthat really set the tone for thisvery tense relationship between the USand Iran. Yeah, I mean, that makessense. Like, why would you or any otherAmerican think differently, right?Because 1979 was such an important year.But 1953 is really when it all goesdown. Doesn’t it suck that your dad wasright?Yeah, it really does. It does. Okay, I want to get into it. It’s a great story.So, we’re going to take you back to thatpivotal moment more than 65 years ago tounderstand what happened during thecoup, why the US made that decision, andhow this event redefined the US-Iranrelationship and changed the world. This message comes from Revenue. Revenueoffers fast, flexible funding forbusinesses up to $250,000for the highest revenue category, withapprovals in as little as one businessday. Funds are made available on demand,and the cost of capital is based on aA fixed factor rate is applied to the amountyou draw. There are no application fees,no draw fees, and no maintenance fees. Apply now at getrevenueed.comand be ready for whatever comes next.This message comes from Carrier.Engineering climate and energy solutionsthat make homes comfortable, helpbusinesses thrive, and keep industriesmoving forward. Creating breakthroughsolutions and rethinking indoorenvironments to enhance lives todaywhile helping build a more sustainabletomorrow. Connecting the cold chain tomove food and life-saving medicineacross the globe. Discover more atcarrier.com. Carrier for the world weshare. This message comes from Schwab.Everyone has moments when they couldhave done better, like cutting their ownhair or forgetting sunscreen, so now youlook like a tomato. Same goes for whereyou invest. Level up and invest smarterwith Schwab. Get market insights,education, and human help when you needit. Learn more at schwab.com. This message comes from NPR sponsor, theofficial Gilded Age podcast from HBO.Unpack each episode and hear from thepeople who bring 19th century New YorkTo life. Listen to the official GildedAge podcast wherever you get podcasts. [Music]They call you lady. August 16th, 1953.[Music]At times you have a very unladylike wayof running out.In the early morning of August 16th,1953, American agents were hiding out ina safe house at a secret location inTehran, listening to this song, Luck Bea Lady Tonight. Luck.They were waiting to hear whether thecoup they had engineered had worked. Andthe mood was electric. Music blasting,booze flowing, everyone celebrating ajob well done. Now remember this is1953. So there were no breaking newsalerts, no email, no good way to deliverinformation fast. So as far as theseguys knew, the coup had gone off withouta hitch. And there was one guy who wasespecially happy, Kermit Roosevelt. So Kermit Roosevelt, uh, was chief of theCIA's Near East Africa division. Like manyof the figures in the early CIA, he hadbeen born into privilege, gone to IvyLeague schools. His grandfather had beenTheodore Roosevelt, distant relative ofFDR as well. He was called in to helpfacilitate this transition. So on July19th, 1953, Kermit Roosevelt crossedover into Iran. This is Steven Kzer. Hewrote a groundbreaking book on this coupcalled All the Shah's Men and son backhere. Oh, okay. Now you can hear me. Hello. She directs the Middle East andNorth Africa program at Chatham House inLondon. And they were our guides throughthis story. Okay, so Kermit Rooseveltentered Iran on July 19th with a prettybig mission ahead of him: a coup toget rid of Iran's Prime Minister,Muhammad Mossadegh. And we'll explain why ina bit. But the first question Roosevelthad to answer was: how? So you're sent into aforeign country, and your assignment isto overthrow the government. What do youdo? Like, what do you do on the firstday? 9:00 you get to the office. How doyou start? Even though the CIA haddevised a plan for Roosevelt, no one wassure it would actually work. It wassuddenly up to Roosevelt to destabilizea whole country. Step one, seize control of the Iranianpress. Basically, buy them off withbribes. Turned out that the press, uh, wasQuite corrupt. And soon enough,Roosevelt had columnists, editors, andreporters from most of Iran's newspaperson his payroll. Then, anti-Mossadegh propaganda beganprinting everywhere. Mossadegh was a Jew, ahomosexual, a British agent—anythingthat they thought would outragepeople. There was such an appetite forthese stories that Iranian journalistsjust couldn't keep up. So Roosevelt hadto recruit CIA agents back in Washingtonto write some of the articles for theIranian press. In fact, one of themlater wrote a memoir, and he talked abouthow bizarre it was at the CIA. You hadthe people plotting the Iran coup, andthen you had analysts on the other sidewho weren't aware of the covert action. And he said, "I would write an articleabout how Mossadegh was an atheist and hehated God." And a couple of dayslater, a guy from the other side of thehall in the analysis division would runover to my office holding up an Iraniannewspaper and saying, "Wow, you won'tbelieve how the newspapers in Iran aredenouncing Mossadegh—look at thisarticle." And I couldn't tell them Iwrote that article. Step two, recruit allies on the ground.Most importantly, the Islamic clergy, ormullas, who held a lot of power in Iran.Kermit Roosevelt made strategic paymentsto a number of important mullas inexchange for them delivering sermonsdenouncing Mossadegh from the pulpit asagainst God and irreligious. Step three,get Iran's king, the Shah, on boardand convince the Iranian Shah MuhammadReza Pahlavi that Mossadegh was a threat.This part took some persuading though.Yeah, because in theory at least, the Shah andthe Prime Minister were meant to worktogether. But there was a lot of tensionbetween them because for decades, Iran'sparliament and Shah had a tough timesharing power. It would be a big deal for the Shah to help overthrow the PrimeMinister. But Roosevelt saw an openingto turn them against each other, andthat included bribing the Shah's sister inexchange for her help convincing theShah to sign on. There are reportsthat a fur coat was even part of thedeal. But that tactic failed.Eventually, Roosevelt took matters intohis own hands and began meeting with theShah almost every day at midnight in ataxi cab, always in a differentLocation. During these late-nightmeetings, Roosevelt managed to convincethe Shah that Mosaddegh was a threat. Andso, the Shah agreed to the coup. Finally, step four: go to Mosaddegh's housein the middle of the night, arrest him,and consolidate power in the hands ofthe Shah, who was more friendly towardsthe West than Mosaddegh. But remember, thecoup attempt failed. At this point, you're probably wondering why the USwent to all this trouble, sendingRoosevelt to Iran, having him stir upchaos in the country, and ultimatelytrying to carry out a coup. Why werethey so hell-bent on getting Mosaddegh out ofpower? Well, the truth is the US wasdragged into the situation by GreatBritain. All because of one thing:A fifth of the world's oil supply was cutoff, and nationalist feeling ran highagainst Britain and the Westerndemocracies. We sometimes say thatcountries are blessed with resources,but sometimes resources can be a curse,particularly if you're a country that'sweak, because there are always strongcountries that want to come and takewhat you have. And Iran was cursed witha lot of oil. Oil was discovered there. In 1908, and almost immediately, GreatBritain took an interest. At thattime, Britain was the world's biggestsuperpower. So, they decided to strike adeal with the Iranian Shah. Theyneeded a lot of oil. This deal betweenthe British and Iran was completelyone-sided. Uh, Great Britain was takingwell over 80% of the revenues while Iranwas receiving about 10 to 12% of therevenues from its natural resource.Wait, wait. A deal like that makes nosense, though. Why did Iran agree tothat? Well, yeah, it makes no senseunless you’re in desperate need ofmoney. Iran's government in theearly 20th century was desperate. Iranduring the early part of the 20thcentury was still ruled by the oldQajar royal dynasty. This was a verycorrupt dynasty, and it supported itselfby selling off anything of value inIran. They sold off the transportationindustry, the tobacco industry, thecaviar fisheries. They even sold off thecountry's treasury and bankingindustries. It was basically afree-for-all, and the British were firstin line. Oil was by far their mostvaluable acquisition. And here's a fun Fact. The company that controlled all ofthat oil was originally called the AngloPersian Oil Company, which would laterbecome BP. Everyday, BP supplies the fuel andlubricants that start the enginesof vehicles all over the Earth. So this wasobviously very lucrative for them. Verylucrative. And during World War I andII, Iranian oil pumped life into theBritish war effort. So it was absolutelyessential to Britain's future. Okay,this all really helps explain the nextpart of the story, right? Because beforehe's even prime minister, MuhammadMosadegh got to work lobbying againstthis unfair oil deal, hoping to get abetter deal for Iran. He tried tonegotiate a new deal with the Britishthat would allow Iran to keep a biggershare of the profits, which I’m surefreaked out the British. And whennegotiations broke down, the Britishimposed a worldwide embargo on Iranianoil. Eventually, in 1951, Mosadegh convincedthe Iranian parliament to nationalizeIran's oil. And a month later, he waselected prime minister, which reallysent the British through the roof. Premier Mosadegh, spearhead of the oilnationalization program, took his case toThe United Nations where he remainedadamant in his stand. So the Britishdecided that the only solution was toget rid of Mosad and put in a morefavorable government. And Mosad, sensingthe British were up to something, shutdown their embassy in Iran. And here'swhere I'm assuming the US enters thepicture. Right. Right. So they called the Americans for helpand President Truman said, "No, you'renot going to do it." He actually sent amediator to Iran. He had Mosad come toWashington to try to persuade him. Butwhen nothing worked, he essentially toldthe British, "There's nothing you cando. You're going to have to swallowthis." Like we had to swallow Mexico,nationalizing its oil industry in the30s. We didn't like it; you're justgoing to have to live with this. But the following year, Dwight Eisenhower becamepresident, and his thinking was a littledifferent. Suddenly, you don't have anAmerican president who forbids militaryaction. But on the contrary, you have anew team that's eager to show that it'sgoing to roll back threats to the UnitedStates. And that played right into theAround the time when the Cold War washeating up and Iran happened to share aborder with the Soviet Union. So, whatcan he do to show that he's fightingcommunism? Well, he can't bomb Moscow. He's not going to invade China. Youcan't go after the real enemy. It's notpossible. So, you have to go aftersomebody else. Iran, also in this period,and I think it's important to mention,there was a communist party known as theTud that was active in parliament,supporting Mosaddegh. And even though byall accounts, Mosaddegh was not a communisthimself, the US was still on high alert.So, all these factors: A) The Britishwant us to do it, eventually convincedthe US. B) Mosaddegh is threatening theworld economic order to get on boardwith Britain's plan. C) We're desperatefor a victory to stage a coup andoverthrow Iran's prime minister,Muhammad Mosaddegh.And yet before this evening is over, thebrush.At 6 a.m., the morning after the coupattempt, Roosevelt and his men, tiredfrom a night of partying, tuned into theradio, but all they heard was silence.And Roosevelt knew something had goneWrong. Then suddenly,the radio crackled on. Military music started playing.And Mosaddegh announced victory over anattempted coup.He noticed that the Shah was nowhere tobe found, and immediately suspected thatthe Shah was behind the coup attempt.Meanwhile, the Shah knew this mighthappen, and fearing Mosaddegh would comeafter him, hopped on his private planeand flew to Baghdad. And from there hewent on to Rome, where he told reporters,"I'm probably going to have to look forwork now because I'm obviously nevergoing to be able to go back to Iran."So to recap, at the end of day two, theShah had left Iran. Mosaddegh was still inpower with no idea that the US wasbehind the coup attempt, and Roosevelthad failed. But even though his bossesback in Washington told him he could gohome after the coup failed, KermitRoosevelt was not willing to give upthat easily. I think it came a little bit from theold CIA can-do mentality. I think healso sensed how weak the Iranianpolitical establishment was. Uh hethought he still had assets that heHadn't used. Mosed wasn’t out of thewoods just yet. Kermit Roosevelt had notgiven up and was actually having aplan B. [Music]Support for this podcast and thefollowing message come from Delta,committed to the communities where theiremployees live, work, and serve. DeltaFirst Officer Pilot Monnique Graysonshares why she believes in the value ofgiving back. Volunteering helps becauseit gives you an opportunity to see adifferent perspective. There’s so muchin the world that we'll miss. But whenyou take a moment to spend time withsomebody else, to pour into somebodyelse, your perspective changes. Youstart to see the importance of being thechange you want to see in the world. Ithelps people reach their goals. When youhave someone showing that they care andwhen people feel cared for, they performdifferently. Their confidence changes.This person is supporting me. And thennot only that, it holds themaccountable, too. Because if the personthat’s supporting you is in a positionwhere you want to be at, let me go aheadand put my best foot forward. That's how I would think about it.Delta committed to giving back for 100 years.This message comes from REI Co-op. REIbelieves there are places withinyourself you find only outside where youcan defy your fears, find your grit, andsay, "I did that." REI has the gear,clothing, classes, and advice to helpget you there. Visit your local REICo-op or REI.com. Support for NPR and the followingmessage comes from the LimlsonFoundation, dedicated to improving livesthrough invention, innovation, andclimate action.[Music]August 17th, 1953. A couple of days after the failed attempt,crowds of supporters packed thestreets chanting the words, "Moseter haswon and victory to the nation."It seemed like the worst was behindMosed. He survived a coup attempt andlived to tell the tale. But this was thecalm before the storm. Backroom dealingswere happening out of sight. And thethreat to Mosed was still very real.And we'll get to that. But during thismomentary calm, we want to give you someinsight into the man who was at theAt the center of this whole thing is the man theU.S. and Britain were terrified of,Muhammad Mosaddegh. You get the feeling that this is a kindof fatherly person who cares about thepeople, and he’s very respectful ofpeople. He talks to people with respectfor the first timethat an Iranian politician would addressthem as dear fellow citizens. This is Dr.Ibrahim Nouri. I’m a retired physician. Dr. Nouri was born in 1942 in a town inIran called Kazvin, and he’s a Mosaddeghsuper fan. He even created a website tohonor him. Dr. Nouri became veryinterested in politics from a young age.I have no idea exactly why because wedidn’t even have radio in our house whenI was a kid, you know, when I was inelementary school. Maybe I was very tinyand I was bullied a lot. Maybe so Iwanted some sort of justice in theworld. Dr. Nouri, like a lot of Iranians,sees Mosaddegh as kind of a national hero, asort of Gandhi for Iran. He’s reallybecome a mythical figure. But to reallyunderstand Mosaddegh, we have to find theman behind the myth. So Muhammad Mosaddeghwas an Iranian aristocrat. Again, Steven Kinsella. His father had been finance minister fordecades under the Kajar regime. Hismother was a princess. He held variouspositions; that was sonu, minister offoreign affairs, minister of finance,and was elected twice to the Iranian parliament.He went off to be educated in Europe.He came home and began campaigningagainstthe agreement by which the British weretrying to subjugate Iranand became quite outraged at theinjustices he saw around him.Mosad was known to be very dramatic. Um, thereare these anecdoteswhere he used to receive visitors inhis bed in his pajamas, for example. Mosed was a pretty eccentric guy, proneto outbursts and dramatic speeches wherehe would cry, even pass out. The USand Britain saw him as kind of erraticand unreliable, difficult to negotiatewith, even if he was a fan of democraticideas. He very much believed in thedemocratic ideals and checks andbalances that were necessary to curtailmonarchical power at the time. Hecame of age during a time when thesechanges also influenced the politicalsystem. What witnessed happened when Mosaddegh was in his20s. Between 1905 and 1911, Iran wentthrough a constitutional revolution.This was a remarkable moment in MiddleEastern history and in the history ofthe developing world. Iran developed aconstitution in 1906. There arecountries in the Middle East that don'teven have a constitution today. Therevolution sought to make Iran moredemocratic with things like aparliament, a constitution, and a freepress. See, for centuries, the countryhad been ruled by shahs or kings withpower passing from fathers to sons. Butby the turn of the 20th century, thecorrupt, irresponsible business dealings of theshahs were driving the Iranian economystraight into the ground, which made theshahs really unpopular among the people. And this wasn't like normal corruption.We're talking crazy excessive spending.Yeah. Like one shah had a harem of 1,600people. 1,600. 160.And he and his many, many sons would usethe national treasury as their personalpiggy bank, taking money out whenever theywanted to travel aroundEurope. He also demanded that peopleCall him one of the following names:Shah of Shaws,asylum of the universe,subduer of climate,guardian of the flock,or shadow of God on earth. I could see wanting to be calledguardian of the flock. Or would you prefer shadow of God onearth?I personally like subduer ofclimate.That just feels— I don’t know,but it just feels like actually, we doneed one right now. You’re right.Anyway, the point is the Shaws were out ofcontrol, and the constitutionalrevolution united people across Iranagainst the Shah in favor of a morerepresentative government. A coalition, if you will, of intellectuals,people from the bazaar, and the clergy.When that coalition stood up to the monarchy,violence broke out. And one of the mostinteresting stories that I came across,Ramine, that I don’t think I’ve told youabout yet, was the story of thisAmerican guy who actually fought inIran’s constitutional revolution.What?Really?Yeah. His name wasHoward Baskerville.Howard Baskerville, who wasa graduate of Princeton UniversitySeminary School. An American missionary. And in this period,there was a lot of missionary activitycoming from the United States. Theysupported education in variouscountries throughout the Middle East. Hecame to Iran, and he identified withtheir plight. Baskerville wanted togo and fight on the side of theconstitutionalists. Exactly. But the USrepresentative in Iran begged Baskervillenot to join the fight. He came to himand yelled at him, "No, you can't dothat. You know, you shouldn't getinvolved in the civil war of othercountries. You came here to help." Youknow, but he wouldn't listen. And thenhe threatened him that if he went andinvolved himself in the war, he would take away his passport. He said, "Okay, this ismy passport." He threw it at him. Hesaid, "No, just because I was born inAmerica, that doesn't mean I'm betterthan them. I'm like them. I'm going tofight for them and for their cause, andthis is a good cause." Unfortunately, he died just the firsthour of a battle.And by the way, Baskerville, hissculpture was installed inConstitutional Hall in Tabriz, and hisA tomb is like a place of worship. SoIranians extrapolatedthese missionaries' actions to America asa government. What I’m saying isthat Americans left a very goodimpression in Iran. Iranians loved it. I had never heard of this guy, HowardBaskerville. Neither had I before this.I mean, it's really wild to think thatthis guy would have laid down his lifefor Iran's constitutional revolution.Think about it. How many Americansat that time even knew where Iran was,let alone go over there and fight?Right. It's interesting because atthat time, Britain and the Shah were thebad guys, but America was kind of anally in their fight. Yeah, exactly.Until they got involved.In the days after the coup attempt,however, all that seemed to matter wasthat Musader was a man of the people andthat he was still in power. But out ofsight, a new plot against Musader wasbrewing. Kermit Roosevelt's plan B.[Music]This message comes from NPR sponsor SAP.Concur. Lator Jackson, senior manager offinance projects at ATRURE, shares howAutomate outdated procedures soemployees could focus on purposefulwork. Literally, employees would receivea mailed invoice from our suppliers, putit in an approval folder and walk itaround to about three different desks. The great thing with Concur Invoice is that itprovides automatic workflow. The AItechnology for invoice reading hasmade it seamless and almost touchlessfor our accounts payable team to be moreefficient in what they are doing. We arenow able to have team building anddecision-making input from that teamthat we normally didn’t have the time toreceive before. So, it was almost like aretraining of the brain on jobfunctionality and opportunities thatthey have here at HR.Visit concur.comto learn more.[Music]August 19th, 1953. Attention is focusedonce again on the Middle East, whereevents in Iran have taken a dramaticdouble twist. During the 3 days afterthe Shah fled and Roosevelt's coupattempt failed, Roosevelt set the stagefor his second coup attempt. And onAugust 19th, it began. Hundreds andhundreds of rioters filled the streets ofTehran. And in a word, it was chaos. Three hundredkilled and hundreds wounded is aconservative estimate. And his plan wasthis. First of all, hire gangs ofIranians through people who controlledcriminal protection rackets and paythem to go out on the street and causechaos. So Roosevelt actually paidcriminals and gang members to storm intothe city, beat up people in the streets,break shop windows,shoot guns intomosques, and while doing all that, yell,"We love Mossadegh. We love communism."Then he hired a second mob to attackthe first mob, which led to bloodyviolent clashes between the two mobs. And the really trippy thing was thateverybody involved.Everyone involvedin the battles was being paid to bethere. But what they didn’t know wasthey were being paid by the same source,the CIA. And all of this was designed tocreate confusion and to signal thatMossadegh was the source of the violence inthe country that he was losing control,which was becoming more and more true. Mossadegh refused to send the police outbecause he said, "Well, they're peacefuldemonstrators. People should be allowedto say what they want." He truly wasToo naive to grasp what was happening. And this brings us to the final part ofRoosevelt's plan: to get rid of Mossadeghonce and for all.Roosevelt ordered both mobs to head toMossadegh's house. So, a giant crowdsurrounded Mossadegh's house, shoutinginsults and throwing stones. Then, whoshould show up? But several policeand military commanders, including acouple with tanks; people who KermitRoosevelt had bribed to participate.Those officers began opening fire onMossadegh's house. While inside, Mossadegh and afew of his closest advisers huddledtogether. He tells them, "I want to diehere in the house."But somehow they managed to drag him outa back window. They got him over afence. He fled. The house was looted,and immediately thereafter, KermitRoosevelt went to get his savior generalwhom he'd been hiding in a safe house. He brought the guy to a radio station andthe guy proclaimed himself as the newleader of Iran.[Music]So this guy, General Zahedi, was put inpower as a placeholder until the Shah,who, remember, had fled to Rome, couldReturning, Mosad eventually turned himselfin. And just like that, with a couple ofchess moves, Kermit Roosevelt's planushered Iran into a new era. The Shah, who had fled to Rome, came homebacked by General Zahedi, a militarystrongman who engineered his return topower. Everything Mosad was, the Shahwas not, which isn’t really surprisinggiven the corruption of the Shah. TheShah then ruled over Iran like adictator for 25 years. And the Westernpowers, including the US, didn’t reallycare because he gave them easy access toIran’s oil. During that time, the Shahdid everything in his power to get ridof any trace of the Mosadel era. Musadik’s name was banned. Again, Dr.Nori, you don’t hear anything aboutMusadik after the coup. And at thattime, I was actually in highschool. I don’t remember much, youknow. Musadik, the coup, they wereoff-limits; things that the Iraniangovernment wanted people to forget.Under these conditions, Musadik became asort of legend, a symbol of Iran’s lostpotential. The CIA only officiallyacknowledged its role in the coup in2013, 60 years later. In case you’reWondering what happened to Mosed, heturned himself in. In the quick shift ofpower, Mosed was finally apprehendedand awaits trial. He was convicted of treasonand sentenced to a prison term, followedby life under house arrest. A couple ofhis closest advisers were executed. There were hundreds of other executionsof people who were suspected to bedisloyal in the military, and Mosadremained almost a taboo figure forthe rest of his life. As for Kermit Roosevelt,Kermit Roosevelt stayed inTehran to wait for the Shah to come backfrom Rome and then arranged a farewellmeeting with the Shah before leavingIran. The Shah greeted him with atoast and said, "I owe my throne toGod, my people, and you." He was right,although it might not be the rightorder. So, Kermit Roosevelt went homeand of course he was welcomed jubilantlyback in Washington as a kind of aconquering hero. He went on to moreyears at the CIA, then later left,became an oil consultant. Oh, and speaking of oil, the holy grail ofresources that started this whole thing,as you might expect, Iranians stillEnded up with a pretty bad deal afterthe coup was said and done. Iranian oilmay again flow westward. [Music]Okay. So given all this,fundamentalism took hold with a fury. Resentment builtup against the Shah. The Shah declaredmartial law in most of Iran's citiesin 1979.Iranians reached a breaking point andrevolted against the Shah. The crowdshouted "Death to the Shah." The Shah fledIran and the clergy assumed control ofthe country. That same year, a hostage crisisunfolded at the American embassy.CBS News reported that young Iranians, described asstudents acting with the blessing ofAyatollah Khomeini, had occupied theAmerican embassy in Tehran. After 30 days ofunsuccessfully trying to get theAmerican hostages out of Tehran, thegovernment of the United States was nowtrying to get the deposed Shah of Iranout of this country. And there was nosign that either problem waslikely to be solved soon. In 1979,the 1953 coup was invoked asjustification for seizing theThe time that these diplomats, theseAmerican diplomats inside the embassywere about to do what Americans had donein Iran: overthrowing Mosaddegh andrestoring the Shah. They were aboutto do the same thing, and thereforethey justified to the public why theyneeded to shut the embassy down. This is Roya Hakan. She writes a lot aboutthis time in Iran's history, and thesubject is deeply personal for her.As someone who was born and raised in Iranduring the tumultuous years of theIranian Revolution and its aftermath,Roya challenged everything we thought weknew about this story. Because up untilnow, we thought the basic story was this:Pre-1953, the US and Iran were pretty chill.Britain was the bad guy. The 1953 couphappened. The US installed a dictator inIran, and eventually the people respondedwith a revolution and hostage crisis, andthe US and Iran became mortal enemies.So that is the narrative that waspresented at the time. It was wrongfor the US to intervene, but at the sametime, this isn't the whole story, and ittells only a very small part of why Iranhas been stuck in this place for solong. Roya says that narrative lets one Group off the hook way too easily,Iran's clergy. A piece that's missingfrom the way this narrative has beentold is the fact that Kermit Rooseveltdecides very wisely, obviously, to go paya visit to the Grand Ayatollah Behane inTehran, and you know history changescourse after he does that. So rememberwhen Roosevelt got help from the Mullasto carry out his plan B after that firstcoup attempt failed? Well, Roya thinksthat moment was the real game-changer. Shesays Iran's clergy has been conspiringbehind the scenes for a long time tooppose democracy in Iran. She says theysaw a chance to undermine democracy in1953. And then, in 1979, when it seemedlike democracy would be the result ofthe revolution, they saw anotheropportunity to take power. And they didthis all while invoking Mosad's name. Yes. Yes, it's really truly ironicbecause by 1979, Mosad is long dead, buthis legacy is not. So while he himselfwas completely axed by the clericalpowers at the time, his narrative, hislegacy became very useful to the regime.In other words, it's a mistake to put allthe blame for Iran's problems on the USintervention in 1953 that the IranianClergy have played a part too. I hearwhat Roya is saying. Iran's mullahs havedefinitely done a number on the country,and there's plenty of blame to go aroundbetween the US and Iran, especiallysince 1979. There's a long list of grievances that haveadded to and fueled the tension. But youcan still make the argument that theoriginal sin of the US-Iran relationshipwas what happened in August 1953,and that set the tone for everything tofollow in the United States. US-Iran relationsbegin and end with the hostage crisis. That's the moment that is the keyturning point and the source ofeverything. From the Iranianperspective, things are very different.Iranian and American perceptions,they're like parallel train tracks thatjust keep running parallel. Theynever coincide.[Music]That's it for our first episode. I'mRomini. I'm Ren D Fatah. And you've been listening to Throughline.Our show was produced by me and Ramine.Our team includes Jamie York, Jordana Hookman,Lawrence Woo, Yoyo, Michelle Lance,Grace Smising, Nigerie Eaton. Thank youalso to Larry Kaplau for his editinghelp and Greta Pittinger for her helpbacktracking. Our music was composed byDrop Electric and special thanks to AnaGruntman, Chris Turpin, Matil Piard, andSteve Nelson for working so hard to makethis show a reality and Nad ArabiePrompt's dad who helped us out with sometranslations. And let's keep theconversation going. If you have an ideaor thoughts on the episode, send us anemail to thlinepr.org. Thanks for listening. [Music]Support for NPR and the followingmessage come from online. Is your childasking questions on their homework youdon't feel equipped to answer? Llearninguses advanced algorithms to give theright help to each kid, no matter theage or personality. One subscriptiongets you everything. One site for allthe kids in your home, preK to 12thgrade. Make an impact on your child'slearning. Get it now and NPR listeners canget an exclusive 20% off membershipwhen they sign up today at exl.com/npr.This message comes from MintMobile. Ifyou're tired of spending hundreds on bigWireless bills, bogus fees, and freeperks—MintMobile might be right for you,with plans starting from 15 bucks amonth. Shop plans today atmintmobile.com/switch. Upfront payment of $45 for a 3-month 5gigabyte plan required. New customeroffer for the first three months only. Thenfull-price plan options are available, taxesand fees extra. See Mint Mobile fordetails. This message comes from Carrier,committed to providing climate andenergy products and services to helpenhance lives. More information is atcarrier.com. Carrier, for the world weshare., Iran and the U.S., Part One | Throughline, NPR Podcasts, 01jyz5gjwvjkwkmvrtc9mxq1za.