aug 19, 1953 - Iran: Background

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Iran was ruled by a Shah at the start of the 20th century. However, the British owned the Iranian oil fields, paying the Iranian government to run them.
A leading Islamic nationalist, Mossadeq said that Iran should own it's own oil fields and was against the western intervention. He was made PM by the Shah in 1951, then a law was passed to nationalise the oil fields. In retaliation, the British stopped the workforce at the fields and persuaded the West to not buy Iranian oil. The British imposed a naval blockade of Iran.

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