Events Happened Four Days of Unrest

“ I owe my crown and throne to God, my people, my army and your own person.”
Shah’s words to Kremit Roosvelt
 

19 Auguest 1953 morning was a beginning to an end. Tehranians who had three days of anxiety, demonstration and terror, observed this artificial silence with wonder. Though strike was not declared, the shops were half closed. The streets being swept of people added to this anxiety. The voice of tumult and uproar could be heard from Pahlavi cross-road and Sepah street. The optimism of people did not last for long. The slogans of demonstrators were not what they anticipated. The men mounted on the lorries had unfamiliar faces.

Some wore uniforms of uncommissioned officers and those other resembled ruffians, blackmailers, and hirelings. In their hands they held, Iranian national pictures of the Shah and rods with which they threatened people, shouting: long live the Shah, Down with Mossaddiq, Down with Tudehee. The people who were walking in Naderi street dispersedly watched them with wonder and showed no reaction. At 10 o’clock in the morning the same program was carried out in ToupKhaneh square. Shaban Jafari known as Shaban the headless with his group of stabbers and ruffians, had turned this place as his preserved area due to its being in the vicinity of his ZourKhaneh. ( a place for traditional sports) In the west of the square, one of this ruffians was turning a bloody Yazdi handkerchief round his head and was threatening the opponents to murder. The ruffians along with a large number of soldiers, non-commissioned officers clothed in military or non-military uniforms started from southern Tehran northwards and their destination were radio station and the seat of prime minister in Kakh street. In the evening of the same day all equipment of Dr. Mossaddeq’s house were put on sale in Tehran streets.

Now we are faced with this question that why within a few hours, the victorious man faced his failure. While three days earlier, simultaneous with the Shah’s flight, all people thought that Pahlavi dynasty had fallen and Mossaddeq has paved the way for republic government. To find the answer we need go back to some months earlier.
In 1952, the British lost their hope of overthrowing Mossaddeq cabinet and establishing a new government not that much hostile to them. The oil question became increasingly complicated. The situation reached to a point that in late 1952 and early 1953 the British Intelligence and security agents held a joint session with CIA authorities of middle East and Africa in Washington. The purpose of this talks was the overthrown of Mossaddeq government. This was the first time that, due to their excessive weakness and loss of their interests in Iran, The British satisfied themselves to have Americans as partner in enjoying Iran.

In April 1953 United States gave her consent to participate in these operations, and CIA allocated a budget of one million dollars for this purpose. As it is said by one of the coup planners just seventy and some thousand dollars were spent and rest were given to the Shah.
The British ordered their members and agents to act under CIA. The most active figures were Rashidian brothers (Seifol-lah, Qodrat-ol-lah and Assad-ol-lah). In fact they were the main keys to British plans. In second world war, Rashidian brothers cooperated with the British against Germany and now they had held their organization. Further to their wealth, they had influence in Majlis and Bazar; and they were able to equip lay people who were influential in Iranian economy and bring them to streets. The main prt of this joint operation, called Ajax operation was to find a man to lead the coup forces and this was Fazl-ol-lah Zahedi who was selected. His many acts has turned him to one of main opponents of Mossaddeq.

In may 1953 the Americans consented to Zahedi’s premiership. Simultaneous with this appointment, a professional and veteran man was chosen for this operation in Tehran. He was Kremit Roosvelt. He was a descendent of Theodore Roosvelt, American president, and for many years, he was at the service of Near East Department. In 1960, he left CIA and entered private enterprise. Due to this cooperation he was esteemed by Iranian authorities especially he had close relations with Ardeshir Zahedi.
Following the organization and planning the coup, they endeavored to pave the way to operate the coup.

The economic situation of Iran, due to oil embargo was in its most critical state. The salaries of officials and labourers were delayed for some months. Inflation and expensiveness of goods added to general poverty. The coup planners understood the economic gravity and began a psychological warfare. The press, the number of which amounted to more than 20 were in perfect harmony with this plan. The main subjects of this psychological war were:
1. Mossaddeq’s support of Tudeh Party and Soviet Union.
2. Mossaddeq’s being enemy to Islam because he cooperates with Tudeh party and for the purpose of advancing their causes.
3. Mossaddeq’s conscious efforts to weaken army morale and their competence to stablish order
4. Mossaddeq’s encouraging separatist tribes in order to provide the Soviet domain over Northern provinces.
5. Mossaddeq’s corruption through his coming to power and his losing all good aspects and acquiring all features of a despot.

In the anniversary of 21 July 1952 Tudeh party members held large meetings in Tehran and this worried many religious and nationalist groups in Iran and unwantedly confirmed CIA propogations of relations between Mossadeq and Tudeh Party.
Following the psychological war carried out with subtlety and its influence among people, the operational stage of the plan began its work and the Shah was informed of the Ajax operations. The mission was undertaken by Shah’s twin sister, Ashraf Pahlavi. In an unexpected journey in she entered Tehran and informed the Shah of the details of the plan. She had mny important missions in her journey. First, she convinced Shah of the joint and common goals of the British and USA, and that he should set aside his fear of the “secret hands of the British”. Secondly, she got official orders from Shah to appoint Zahedi, as chief commander of army.

By 24 July all key foreign people were present in Tehran including Roozvelt and Showartskopf, the former being the main responsible of operations in Tehran and the latter being the ex-chief of American military mission in Iranian Gendarmarie, who now was Shah’s trustee. It is interesting to know that the son of the very general in Kuweit-Iraqi war known as sand storm operations, was the commander of allied forces. These two people with the help of Ashraf pacified the coward Shah. In the meantime, Mossaddeq was mostly worried about parliament. Some of the members opposed to him strongly and the danger of interpellation threatened Mossaddeq. Meanwhile Mossaddeq asked some of his supports to resign, and about 28 people resigned in the parliament.
CIA operational staff in Tehran allured or threatened the members not to resign. This resistance of members led Mossaddeq to make his historical mistake and dissolve the parliament. According to the constitutional law only Shah could decide on the dissolution of Majlis. In 4 August a referendum was made and the majority consented to the dissolution of Majlis. This provided an exceptional opportunity to question Mossaddeq’s government. The newspapers added to their anti-Mossaddeq propaganda plots. President Eisenhower in the very day of referendum made a speech in the meeting of U.S. governors in Seatle and said U.S.A will not let Iran go behind iron curtain. This was a secret announce for the start of operations and an encouragement for the Shah.
The plan was made ready for operation. In the evening of 11 August Shah met General Zahedi and verbally appointed him prime minister and flied to Ramsar with his wife, Sorayya Esfandiari. In the eve of 12 August colonel Ne’mat-ol-lah Nassiri, the commandant of Imperial guard flied north and got Shah’s signature for appointing Zahedi and removing Mossaddeq. In the north Shah was waiting for the success of the coup.
In the meantime the psychological campaign against Mossaddeq reached its climax. CIA agents mainly focused on frightening religious leaders. Thus, on behalf of Tudeh party, they made strong propagations, and published papers in which they threatened religious leaders that if they opposed to Mossaddeq, they will be punished terribly. In the name of Tudeh party, they made threatening calls to some of them.
The operations began in the late 15 August, but due to lack of coordination of Iranian agents and prolongation of executing orders the coup was foiled. At eleven in the night some vans full of soldiers arrested national leaders including Zirak Zadeh, HaqShenass and Hossein Fatemi. Some pro-Mossaddeq officers were arrested. In the morning of 16 August , colonel Nassiri accompanied with four vans of soldiers and two jeep of steel-clads marched toward No. 109 in Kakh st. that was Mossaddeq’s personal house, in order to submit his removal order and the appointment of Zahedi, but Mossaddeq’s forces arrested him.
Through the reaction of chief commander of Army, General Riyahi, the coup was foiled. The news of abortive coup was published in the city and the government issued a formal announcement. Anti-royalist political groups demonstrated in the streets and the statues of Reza Shah and his son were brought down. They changed the names of streets. Zahedi and the coup agents took refugee in safe places and CIA agents even spoke of their leaving Iran. These four days were the most uneasy and disturbed days of the city. Strategic centers were under the eyes of police, and armed forces and royal palaces wre closed.

In the early hours of coup, the Shah with much fear left northern Iran to Bagdad. When the news reached Tehran, the clashes between pro and anti-Shah groups intensified and there was no hope of restoring monarchy. During these four days, anti-Mossaddeq papers published Shah’s orders to Zahedi. The demonstraters attacked to the bureaus of newspapers and the capital had been turned to an embattled city. Tehran was almost in the hands of anti-royalists groups. Many of demonstrations were affiliated to Tudeh party and this fact created a sort of fear among religious people. CIA operation staff was desparetely planning for a new coup whthin the fes coming days Rashidian brothers with their groups of ruffians attacked to the political bureaus of many parties and robbed the shops of many people, and this was considered a dangerous sign of the city’s falling into the hands of communists. On the other hand, the coupist headquarters contacted many military and police officers and distributed large amounts of money among them. The happiness and festivity of triumph and flight of Shah was to the extent that Mossaddeq’s Cabinet had been lulled to sleep which ended in 19 August 1953 Coup.