THE incidents of the last five days of Mordad 1332, (Iranian Calendar) and the changes which followed in their wake completely changed the destiny of Iran and her people ... The circumstances which led to this revolution and the incidents which occurred during the last five days (25th to 30th) of Mordad 1332 may be summarised as follows:

Following the Second World War the realisation that the Iranian nation was being deprived of its legitimate share in the profits accruing from Iranian oil, whereof a major portion went to the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, culminated in the nationalisation of the oil industry.

Dr. Mossadegh being one of the sponsors of this movement who was brought to power by the Majlis in order to apply the law of nationalisation and negotiate an a alternative agreement with the A.I.O.C. bluntly turned down all offers of conciliation and settlement, including one from the British Government agreeing to divide the profits fifty-fifty. In the meantime, the cessation of operation and stopping of royalty payments by the A.I.O.C hit the country rather hard economically, but Mossadegh’s ambitious character induced him, instead of concentrating his energy on the struggle for the redemption of the nation’s rights, to direct his thoughts and efforts against the 2500-year-old Iranian monarchy.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2019