| 1908 |
Oil is discovered in Iran |
| 1911 |
The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) commissions an oil refinery at Abadan |
| 1925 |
Iran's economy becomes more and more centred on the production of crude oil from the country's vast reserves |
| 1945 |
Second World War ends, UK and US troops withdraw from Iran, Russian troops remain |
| 1947 |
Iran signs an agreement with the US providing for military aid and training.
The AIOC reports an after-tax profit of US$112 million, of which only US$19.6 million is returned to the Iranian government |
| 1950 |
Mohammed Mossadegh elected as chairman of the government's Oil Committee. AIOC rejects a 50/50 profit sharing agreement |
| 1951 |
AIOC accepts the 50/50 profit split proposition but is too late. Iran's oil industry is nationalised.
Mossadegh is elected prime minister and the country takes control of the refinery at Abadan - at that time the largest in the world
UK applies worldwide economic sanctions against Iran. US assists with enforcement. UK legal application in New York and the Hague fails |
| 1952 |
Britain starts to plan a coup d'état to topple Mossadegh and urges the US to join in the operation, which is code-named 'TPAJAX', or 'Operation Ajax'. Aware that a plot is being hatched, Mossadegh breaks off diplomatic relations with Britain on 16 October |
| 1953 |
The aim was to install a government in Iran that would reach an oil settlement more favourable to the west. On 4 April the US director of central intelligence releases US$1 million which, is to be used "in a way that would bring about the fall of Mossadegh." |
| ! > |
Compare this with the $85M Condoleezza Rice has recently secured to mount the 'largest ever propaganda campaign' against the policies of the current Iranian Government |
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The shah returns to power in Iran on 22 August, heavily indebted to the US and Britain. The CIA and British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) provide the coup government with US$5 million to help it consolidate power. |
| ! > |
This was the CIA's first successful attempt to overthrow a foreign government. |
| 1954 |
Mission Accomplished, oil production resumes under the industry control of foreign oil companies |
| 1961 |
Iran joins with other major oil-exporting countries to form OPEC, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries |
| 1972 |
On a visit to Iran, US President Richard M. Nixon agrees to allow the shah to purchase unlimited quantities of US military hardware. In return, the shah allows the US to establish two listening posts in Iran to monitor Soviet ballistic missile launches and other military activity and supports the US request to OPEC to price oil sales in US dollars |
| 1979 |
Between 1953-1979 US sales of military hardware accelerated (especially under the Carter administration). The Iranian people suffered deeply under the shah's brutal military dictatorship (ignored and supported by the UK and US) with corruption, phony elections, heavy censorship, torture and execution of thousands of dissenters. The regime ends with the death of the shah and an Islamic Revolution |
| 1980 |
Ayatollah Khomeini elected to power in 1980. Iranian people virulently anti-American for imposing and supporting 27 years of the shah's brutality.
President Reagan supports Iraq's attempt to seize the Shatt al Arab waterway |
| 1980-1988 |
Iran / Iraq war. Reagan and G.H.W. Bush support Saddam Hussein, authorising the sale of military technology and chemical and biological agents, and supplying military intelligence to Iraq.
George Schultz briefed that Iraq was using chemical weapons against Iran on an 'almost daily' basis. Donald H. Rumsfeld meets with Saddam Hussein pledging US support for Iraq. Estimated total deaths 1,000,000. |
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Iranian government criticised for advocating regime change in Iraq. November 1984: United States restores full diplomatic relations with Iraq and Saddam Hussein's government declared "legitimate." |
