---
born: 1882
category: Intelligence & Government
died: 1967
location: Tehran, Iran
summary: Iranian Prime Minister overthrown in 1953 with CIA help after nationalizing
  oil, leading to the Shah's restoration to power.
tags:
- Person
- CIA
- Israel
---

[Mohammed Mossadegh](/people/mohammed-mossadegh/) was the Prime Minister of [Iran](/places/iran/). In late 1950 and early 1951, the Majlis (Parliament) passed an act nationalizing oil, leading to the withdrawal of the British Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. This resulted in [Mossadegh](/people/mohammed-mossadegh/) being in charge of a nation in uproar, with fierce internal conflicts and street riots.[^1]

[Mossadegh](/people/mohammed-mossadegh/) was overthrown in 1953, and [Kermit Roosevelt](/people/kermit-roosevelt/) and [Miles Copeland](/people/miles-copeland/) of the [CIA](/organizations/central-intelligence-agency/) helped restore the [Shah](/people/mohammad-reza-pahlavi/) to power. [Mehdi Bazargan](/people/mehdi-bazargan/), the first prime minister appointed by [Khomeini's](/people/ayatollah-ruhollah-khomeini/) revolutionary government, was a supporter of [Mossadegh](/people/mohammed-mossadegh/) and a member of the National Front.[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.