Imam Khomeini frequently condemned the American-British coup

65 years have passed since coup d’état against Iran's first democratically-elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq. The coup was completed on August 19 in 1953.

ID: 55128 | Date: 2019/08/19
The coup overthrew Mosaddeq who nationalized Iran’s oil production in 1951 which had been under British control.


Mosaddeq’s move became a source of serious concern for the US and Britain which saw their interests at grave risk. 


The 1953 Iranian coup d’etat was the overthrow of the Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq in favor of strengthening the monarchical rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi on August 19 of that year.


However, the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 under the leadership of Imam Khomeinichanged the course of history in the interest of Iranian nation. Iranian nation led by Imam Khomeini took their destiny in their own hands and established an Islamic-democratic system.


Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic strongly denounced the notorious US and British-orchestrated coup against Iran's first democratically-elected government.Imam Khomeini in a historic address strongly slammed the 1953 coup against the then elected Iranian government.


Imam Khomeini has frequently condemned the American-British coup.He has announced in his speeches:


It was a big ignorance of our politicians, scholars and other people that led to imposing this man (Shah). {It means, the coup was caused by their mistakes}. They (the U.S and the UK) has supported him to become strong.


Recalling unpleasant events of 1953, Imam said that such nasty coup happened because of the then government had not attached enough significance to religious figures of that era. Imam also criticized the separation between religion and politics at the certain juncture of history.   


In 2013, the US Central Intelligence Agency released documents formally acknowledging the role it played alongside the British spy agency MI6 in the coup. Overthrowing Mosaddeq also strengthened the dictatorial rule of Iran’s deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who had just fled Iran following a power struggle with him.


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Imam Khomeini reminded nation of important lessons about 1953 coup