With nationalization signed and Mosaddegh in office, Britain cuts off Iran’s oil exports and moves warships into the Gulf. Secret documents expose decades of political interference, American mediation fails, and Iran finds itself in a standoff it cannot easily win.
Listen to part one of Nationalization here.
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Episode Summary
With nationalization passed, Britain’s response came not at the negotiating table but on the water. Warships moved toward Abadan as London made clear it had no intention of accepting the law as final. Internally, the British pushed the Shah to appoint Sayyed Zia (a familiar face from the 1921 coup) as prime minister, hoping to steer Iran back toward compromise.
In the confirmation hearing, right-wing deputy, Jamal Emami, rose to mock Mosaddegh: “If Mosaddegh thought everyone else was failing, why not run the government himself?” The chamber fell silent. Then, Mosaddegh accepted. Seventy-nine deputies voted for him and afterwards the Majlis unanimously passed his follow-up nationalization legislation, establishing the National Iranian Oil Company and setting terms for auditing Anglo-Iranian’s books.
On May 1st, 1951, the Shah signed it into law.
Britain responded with an embargo. Anglo-Iranian’s general manager ordered tankers to leave Abadan empty rather than submit to Iranian oversight. The refinery ground to a halt.
America offered a mediator instead, Averell Harriman, carrying a letter from Truman himself. He spent ten days shuttling proposals between Tehran and the British. Every formula preserved some foreign role in managing Iranian oil. Mosaddegh rejected them all, warmly and completely.
When Iranian delegations moved into Anglo-Iranian’s offices, they found files being burned in a fireplace … but not quickly enough. What remained revealed decades of quiet interference: deputies bought, ministers managed, newspapers paid to undermine the National Front, a Radio Department official recruited as an asset. Mosaddegh released everything.
In Washington, Truman’s National Security Council heard the warnings plainly. The refinery was shutting down. British warships were already positioned off Abadan. Intelligence suggested an invasion was being considered. The Western alliance and Iran’s future hung in the balance.
The world was now deciding whether to let Iran’s nationalization stand … or crush it.
Music
- Roberto Prado – Hidden Thread
- Mark Fabian – Super Secret Spy
- FableForte – Reminiscence
- Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen – Missing Memories
- Francesco D Andrea – Tempus Fugit
- Cjbeards – Heart of the Wicked
The post Book Three – Ep.6: Nationalization – Part Two appeared first on The Lion and The Sun Podcast.
