• World War II ends. Iran becomes a target of both pro-Western and pro-Soviet forces with regard to the country's vast oil reserves.
• General Ali Razmara becomes prime minister of Iran.
• Support grows for the nationalization of Iran's oil industry.
• Prime Minister Ali Razmara is assassinated.
• Nationalist Mohammed Mossadegh becomes prime minister and angers the British by wresting control of the oil industry.
April 28
May 20
Sept. 30
• Due to growing friction between the shah and Mossadegh over oil, Mossadegh resigns. Ahmed Ghavam takes over as prime minister. Three days of rioting ensue.
July 22, 1952
• Under pressure, the Shah is forced to reappoint Mossadegh.
July 21
July 23
Aug. 11
March 1953
• The C.I.A. begins drafting a plan to bring to power, through covert action, a government in Iran that would be preferred by the United States.
April 16, 1953
• A C.I.A. study entitled "Factors Involved in the Overthrow of Mossadegh" is completed. The study concludes that a coup in Iran is possible.
May 13, 1953
• C.I.A. and British intelligence officers meet in Nicosia, Cyprus, to draft plans for the coup. Meanwhile, the C.I.A.'s Tehran station is granted approval to launch a "grey propaganda"
campaign to discredit the Mossadegh government.
June 10, 1953
• C.I.A. officers meet in Beirut for a final review of the coup plan.
June 19, 1953
• The final operation plan for the coup, agreed upon by both the C.I.A. and British intelligence, is submitted to the U.S. State Department and the Foreign Office in London.
July 1, 1953
• Britain's prime minister gives final approval to the operational plan for the coup.
July 11, 1953
• President Eisenhower gives final approval to the operational plan for the coup.
July 23, 1953
• A British Foreign Office memorandum is presented to an Under Secretary of State, reassuring the U.S. that the British would be flexible on the issue of controlling oil in Iran.
July 25, 1953
• Under pressure from the C.I.A., Princess Ashraf, the Shah's sister, flies to Tehran from France in order to convince the Shah to sign the royal decrees that would dismiss Mossadegh.
"...should the Shah fail to go along with the U.S. representative or fail to produce the [legal] documents for General Zahedi, Zahedi would be informed that the United States would be ready to go ahead without the Shah's active cooperation..." — C.I.A. Document, Appendix B, page 10
July 29, 1953
• The C.I.A. intensifies a propaganda effort, which included planting stories in major American newspapers, to weaken the Mossadegh government.
Aug. 1, 1953
• In a meeting with Gen. H. Norman Schwartzkopf, the Shah refuses to sign the C.I.A.-written royal decrees firing Mossadegh and naming Gen. Zahedi as the new prime minister of Iran.
Aug. 4, 1953
• Mossadegh, suspecting that British and American governments were plotting against him, holds a referendum calling for the Iranian parliament to be dissolved.
Aug. 13, 1953
• The shah signs a royal decrees dismissing Mossadegh. Word of the shah's support for the coup spreads quickly in Iran.
Aug. 15, 1953
• The coup begins, but falters and then fails because Mossadegh received advanced warning of the plans. Zahedi goes into hiding.
Aug. 16, 1953
• The shah flees to Baghdad.
Aug. 17, 1953
• Gen. Zahedi announces that he is the prime minister. To support this claim, C.I.A. agents disseminate a large quantity of photographs of the royal decrees dismissing Mossadegh and appointing Zahedi.
The shah announces that he indeed signed the decrees.
Aug. 18, 1953
• The C.I.A., discouraged by the failed coup, sends a message to Tehran ordering the operations against Mossadegh to be halted.
Aug. 19, 1953
• Several Tehran newspapers publish the Shah's decrees. As a result, supporters of the Shah begin gathering in the streets, and another coup begins. Gen. Zahedi comes out of hiding to lead the
movement. By the end of the day, the country is in the hands of Zahedi and members of the Mossadegh government are either in hiding or incarerated.
SLIDE SHOW: Demonstrations Erupt During Coup
"From the fact that certain actions provided for in the military plan failed to materialize ... it was obvious that something had gone wrong." — C.I.A. Document, Part VII, page 44
"The Director, on April 4, 1953, approved a budget of $1,000,000 which could be be used by the Tehran Station in any way that would bring about the fall of Mossadegh." — C.I.A. Document, Part I, page 3
"The purpose will be to create, extend, and enhance public hostility and distrust and fear of Mossadegh and his government." — C.I.A.
Document, Appendix B, page 15
Aug. 17
Aug. 18
"Just what incident or what reaction ... caused the pro-Zahedi officers to falter in their duties is not clearly known." — C.I.A.
Document, Part VI, page 42
Aug. 20
Aug. 21
Aug. 23
Dec. 22
• With Zahedi acting as prime minister and the pro-Shah army units in control, hundreds of National Front leaders, communist Tudah Party officers and political activists are arrested.
• Mossadegh's minister of foreign affairs, Hossein Fatemi, is sentenced to death and executed.
• The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company resumes operation.
Aug. 6
Oct. 11
Nov. 11
