TEHERAN: The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company’s refinery at Abadan — the World’s largest — was forced to shut down as pickets closed their ring tighter on Saturday [April 14] night. Early on Sunday morning demonstrators numbering nearly 20,000 paraded Abadan shouting anti-British and anti-American slogans and demanding immediate implementation of the Oil Nationalisation Bill. The demonstrators called on all patriotic Iranians not to work for the “imperialists”. Telephoned reports from the town … said no more orders were being accepted from incoming tankers.

Meanwhile, 30 American experts [quit] their jobs in the strife-torn Iranian oil fields ... and asked for immediate transportation home for their families as unrest spread throughout the country. The AIOC announced that arrangements had already been made for them to leave. …

Rioting was reported from Abadan across the country to towns along the Caspian Sea in the north. Thirty-six trainloads of Iranian troop reinforcements were speeded to Abadan, where Communist agents from other Middle Eastern countries were reported to have ... fanned strikers’ anger against the Government and the … Company. — News agencies

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2026