AP WAS THERE: A 1953 CIA-led coup in Iran topples prime minister, cements shah’s power

By The Associated Press

In August 1953, a CIA-backed coup toppled Iran’s prime minister, cementing the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi for over 25 years before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. At the time of the coup, the public had no idea about the CIA’s role in the putsch. That changed in later years. The American hand in the coup ultimately fed the enmity of those who overthrew the shah. While there have been releases of documents by the American government in recent years, some details of the coup remain secret. Meanwhile, tensions still remain high between Iran and the U.S., leading some in the Islamic Republic to invoke the coup against then-Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh as a sign that America can’t be trusted.