Iran 72 years after the 1953 coup

Seventy-two years ago on August 19, 1953, the United States and Britain advanced a coup against the first democratically-elected government of Iran, the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, and reinstalled the Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. 

The coup and the subsequent US support for the ruthless military regime under Mohamad Reza Shah, who had escaped the country while the coup was taking place, came with grave implications. The coup played a major role in shaping the Iranian perceptions of the United States, a new imperialist that had entered the course of the competition with the British and Russians to gain control on Iran’s vast resources.

The US intervention in Iran is part of a broader trend in American foreign policy that is aimed at toppling states that refuse to become puppet governments controlled by Washington. According to a dataset published by the Military Intervention Project (MIP), the US has waged nearly 400 military interventions since its founding in 1776.

The coup was primarily motivated by the desire to protect British oil interests in Iran, specifically after Prime Minister Mossadegh had nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. 

The movement to nationalize the oil industry was a reaction by the Iranians to concessions made by both Qajar and Pahlavi Shahs to foreign powers. The movement had originated in the parliament and was led by Mosaddegh when he was a lawmaker.  

After the British and Soviet troops invaded Iran in 1941 and toppled first the Pahlavi king, Reza Shah, they replaced him with his young son Mohammad Reza. In the early years of the second Pahlavi Shah, the anti-colonial oil nationalization movement had become too strong to suppress. The weakness of Mohammad Reza Shah’s regime benefited the movement in the period after World War II. Different political groups emerged and the oil movement gradually got stronger and stronger.

As time passed, the United States joined the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, who were seeking to gain control of the Iranian oil reserves. 

In the meantime, a senior cleric named Ayatollah Abol-Ghasem Kashani was leading a powerful popular movement outside the parliament against foreign interference in the country’s affairs, giving a hand to the democratically-elected government of Premier Mossadegh. 

The coup plot lasted for five days from August 15th to 19th. This event involved the CIA and British intelligence (MI6) orchestrating a series of actions, including disinformation and military campaigns, to undermine Mosaddegh's government and install Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as the sole ruler. 

In fact, the CIA and British intelligence operations had already been playing out in the previous months to undermine Mosaddegh's popularity and build support for the Shah. This involved propaganda campaigns and organizing protests that eventually led to the army siding with the pro-Shah forces.

The coup plot had been formally approved by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as the CIA played the leading role in a covert operation, called Operation Ajax, whereby CIA-funded agents were used to foment unrest inside the capital, Tehran.

The CIA released dangerous thugs such as Shaban Jafari and his friends from prisons and unleashed them in groups to walk in the city streets while hanging posters of Mossadegh on their chests. The funded gangs attacked public and private properties on their way while ranting and raving in the name of the Mossadegh supporters. 

In the period of five days, fighting between supporters of Mossadegh and the Shah resulted in hundreds of deaths.

Eventually, the coup, which was cod-named Operation Boot in the United Kingdom, brought back the stumbling Pahlavi dynasty to the top of power and ensured brutal Pahlavi suppression of the Iranian people for the next 26 years. 

After the coup succeeded, Shah, who had returned to the country, issued decrees dismissing Mosaddegh and appointing General Fazlollah Zahedi as the prime minister. These decrees, while issued earlier, played a crucial role in legitimizing the coup when they were revealed to the public.  
Mosaddegh was arrested, tried and convicted of treason by the Shah's military court. On 21 December 1953, he was sentenced to three years in jail, then placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. Other Mosaddegh supporters were imprisoned, and several received the death penalty.

The young Shah, along with Britain and the US, could not stand the nationalization of the oil industry and the democratically-elected Mosaddegh. For that, they overthrew his government.
In the aftermath of the coup, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi could reassert his autocratic rule and negotiated the 1954 Consortium Agreement with the British, which returned the ownership of Iranian oil to a consortium of Western companies until 1979, the year the Islamic Revolution became victorious. 

It is generally agreed today that the 1953 coup sowed the seeds for the Islamic Revolution of 1979, in which the Shah was overthrown. But even after the 1979 Islamic revolution, which eliminated US presence in Iran entirely, Washington continued its efforts to bring down the revolutionary government in Iran.

They dispatched military troops to Iran in Operation Eagle Claw, supported anti-revolutionary coup plotters and the Saddam Hussein regime, and imposed sanctions on Iran, which continue to this day. 

Courtesy: Tehran Times

 

Israel: Protestors demand end to Gaza war

According to Reuters, thousands of Israelis took part in a nationwide strike on Sunday in support of families of hostages held in Gaza, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and release the remaining captives.

Demonstrators waved Israeli flags and carried photos of hostages as whistles, horns, and drums echoed at rallies across the country, while some protesters blocked streets and highways, including the main route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

“Today, everything stops to remember the highest value: the sanctity of life,” Anat Angrest, the mother of hostage Matan Angrest, told reporters at a public square in Tel Aviv.

Among those who met with families of hostages in Tel Aviv was Israeli Hollywood actress Gal Gadot, known for her role as Wonder Woman and starring in the Fast & the Furious franchise.

Ahead of Sunday, some businesses and institutions said they would allow staff to join the nationwide strike, which was called by the hostages' families. While some businesses closed, many also remained open across the country on what is a working day in Israel. Schools are on summer recess and were not affected.

Israeli police said that 38 demonstrators had been detained. Some protesters blocking roads scuffled with police, and were carried away by officers.

Demonstrations across the country were briefly halted when air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and elsewhere, warning of an incoming missile fired from Yemen. The missile was intercepted without incident.

On Sunday, Netanyahu told the cabinet, "Those who call today for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas' position and delaying the release of our hostages. They are also ensuring that the horrors of October 07 will repeat themselves over and over again."

The prime minister, who leads the country's most right-wing government in history, said his government was determined to implement a decision for the military to seize Gaza City, one of the last major areas of the enclave it does not already control.

Iran: Maritime based economy

Speaking at a specialized meeting on the IMO's carbon emission reduction requirements, Omid Shakeri, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister for engineering, research, and technology stressed that maritime-based economy is a national mission.

He announced the new requirements set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce carbon emissions in the shipping sector stating, "The policies for developing a maritime-based economy, which were issued by the Leader in November 2023, have opened new horizons for the oil industry, maritime transportation, and modern technologies."

He noted that these regulations could be both a threat and an opportunity, emphasizing, "If we aim to expand international trade, maritime transportation in compliance with global standards is inevitable. We believe that through timely action and reliance on engineering and research capabilities, we can turn this threat into an opportunity."

Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), in a report, has underlined the importance of the country’s maritime capacities and the role that the sector can play in developing the country’s economy.

According to the report, maritime sector in Iran has very high capacity in various fields including trade, ports and shipping due to the country’s strategic location, long coastal strip in the north and south and access to open waters, and can bring economic prosperity to the country.

“About a third of the country's borders are water borders, so we cannot ignore port and shipping activities because for a country that has long water borders and access to open waters, the prosperity of shipping and maritime trade is essential. Therefore, the government should pay full attention to the strengths and weaknesses of this sector and make the best use of the current capacities with proper planning,” the report read.

Increasing the share of the maritime sector in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) under the framework of the newly proposed maritime-oriented policy should be one of the most important concerns of the government, which can be achieved with proper planning, the PMO said.

The share of the sea in the gross domestic product in advanced coastal countries such as the European Union is 50 percent, but the figure is not significant in Iran despite having more than 5,800 kilometers of coastal strip, and this is despite the fact that there are huge capacities for the transit of goods from Central Asian countries.

 

PSX benchmark index up 0.76%WoW

Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained volatile during the week, opened on positive note driven by strong corporate results and optimism over the upcoming industrial policy, with the government reportedly planning to phase out the super tax over five years. Positive sentiment was further supported by Moody’s upgrading Pakistan’s rating by one notch to Caa1 from Caa2. However, delays in circular debt payments weighed on the E&P and OMC sectors. Overall, the benchmark index gained 1,109 points or 0.76%WoW to close at 146,492 points on Friday, August15, 2025.

Meanwhile, market participation declined 7.2%WoW to 606 million shares from 653 million shares a week ago.

Pakistan officials are in discussions with US over the finer details of a trade deal, along with another visit of Field Martial yielding positive outcome, with US designating BLA as a terrorist organization, a long-standing request by Pakistan.

Passenger car and LCV sales rose 28%YoY, supported by the low base of same period last year amid last year’s plant shutdowns.

Other major news flow during the week included: 1) 3rd IMF tranche of US$1 billion anticipated, 2) Saudi crown prince invites Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to investment conference, 3) GoP presses China on Gwadar plan, 4) Debt re-profiling with Chinese IPPs, and 5) OGRA drafts new petroleum rules to resolve supply disputes.

Leasing companies, Textile spinning, and Auto parts were amongst the top performing sectors, while Woollen, Jute, and OMC were among the laggards.

Major selling was recorded by Banks and other organizations with a net sell of US$14 million. Mutual funds absorbed most of the selling with a net buy of US$15.3 million.

Top performing scrips of the week were: AIRLINK, THALL, YOUW, FABL, and FHAM, while the laggards included: UNITY, GADT, PSX, BNWM, and PPL.

According to AKD Securities, PSX is expected to remain positive in the coming weeks, with further developments over circular debt expected to drive the market along with upcoming corporate results remaining in the limelight.

The benchmark index is anticipated to remain on upward trajectory, with a target of 165,215 points by end December 2025, primarily driven by strong earnings in Fertilizers, sustained ROEs in Banks, and improving cash flows of E&Ps and OMCs, benefiting from falling interest rates and economic stability.

The top picks of the brokerage house include: OGDC, PPL, PSO, FFC, ENGROH, MCB, FCCL, KOHC, INDU, and SYS.

Zhenhua Oil doubles crude offtake from UAE

According to Reuters, Zhenhua Oil of China, is set to double its oil offtake from Abu Dhabi National Oil Co to 200,000 barrels per day after taking on a new role leading development of one of the exporter's top oilfields.

In January, the smallest of China's state oil companies replaced French major TotalEnergies, following a bidding process to become asset leader for Bu Hasa, the largest onshore oilfield in the United Arab Emirates.

With that new role, in which Zhenhua is responsible for setting Bu Hasa's development plan and meeting production and cost targets, it also agreed a new annual deal to receive an additional 5 million tons, or 100,000 bpd, from ADNOC, the sources said.

The offtake deal, finalized around April, and Zhenhua's role in Bu Hasa have not been previously reported. It adds to Zhenhua's existing 100,000 bpd offtake agreement as an equity holder in ADNOC Onshore.

The total quantum of crude Zhenhua is contracted to receive from ADNOC will be ramped up to 200,000 bpd by around year-end.

In April, ADNOC set up an office in Beijing to expand investment opportunities with Chinese partners.

Established in 2003 under state defense conglomerate Norinco, Zhenhua specializes in oil and gas production outside China and has oil assets in Iraq, Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

In 2018, Zhenhua won a 4% stake in ADNOC's giant onshore concessions, securing a position alongside heavyweights including BP, TotalEnergies and CNPC.

With the increased offtake, Zhenhua is set to become a more active trader of Abu Dhabi's main Murban grade. The company, which runs trading desks in Beijing and Singapore, will place its first crude trader in Abu Dhabi this month, the sources added.

 

 

Israel under siege, diplomatically

Israel is facing a perilous moment and cannot afford the luxury of petty feuds and personal vendettas at the highest levels. Differences of opinion are inevitable; what’s not acceptable is airing them in ways that erode deterrence, morale, and the perception of competence. 

Israel is under siege diplomatically, with several allies announcing plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September. At home, the war’s continuation without a hostage deal and the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) conscription crisis are tearing the country apart.

A nationwide strike on behalf of the hostages is planned for Sunday, and there are haredi protests seemingly every time a haredi youth is arrested for draft evasion.

Add to this the constant speculation over whether the government will fall – and which party might bring it down – and the atmosphere is combustible.

And that’s to say nothing of the other fronts demanding Israel’s constant vigilance: Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and the Houthis.

Yet, with all this to address, leading ministers are spending valuable time and energy on personal score-settling: Defense Minister Israel Katz with Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara.

Katz, in what appears to be little more than an effort to show Zamir who is boss, froze high-level IDF promotions that Zamir recommended, implying in a social media post that the days when the IDF could act without government oversight ended with its failures on October 07, 2023.

Levin, locked in a battle with the judiciary since the current government came to power in December 2022, changed the locks on his Tel Aviv office to bar the attorney-general – with whom he is engaged in a prolonged and bitter dispute and whom the government has fired, pending Supreme Court approval – from entering.

At a time when Israel’s leaders should be razor-focused on the enormous challenges ahead, diffusing their energy into petty disputes undermines public trust and the confidence that they can steer the country out of its precarious situation.

That dysfunction sends exactly the wrong message – both inside and outside the country – at exactly the wrong time.

A public spat between the defense minister and the chief of staff, amid rumors that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to fire Zamir and just a week after a public clash over whether to occupy all of Gaza (Zamir opposed but was overruled), gives Israel’s many enemies reason to smile.

It signals weakness in the decision-making process, suggesting that orders will be slower to form and harder to implement. It also invites exploitation, giving adversaries material to magnify through propaganda, feeding the perception that Israel is too busy fighting among itself to fight them.

The lock-changing episode – undermining a Supreme Court ruling that nothing should be done to impair Baharav-Miara’s ability to do her job until the court rules on a petition regarding her firing – only deepens the impression of dysfunction.

At a critical moment, this broadcasts to Israelis that the government is distracted by internal battles rather than focused on pressing threats.

That’s a sobering reality for everyone – the families of hostages; the soldiers and reservists in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Lebanon, and Syria; as well as their concerned families who need to believe the country’s steering wheel is firmly in capable hands.

It’s also true for the broader public, which must trust that the government can solve problems rather than worsen them through self-inflicted “own goals.”

Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz captured the sentiment in a biting social media post: “Who said there are no kindergartens in August? A justice minister changing the locks in the attorney-general’s office, and a defense minister busy playing power games with the chief of staff and holding up key military appointments. This is not how a government is run; this is what a kindergarten looks like.”

It would be easy to dismiss this as the usual sour musing of an opposition leader eager for the government’s downfall. But this time, Gantz’s words seem more apt than the routine criticisms of a frustrated politician.

Courtesy: The Jerusalem Post

US-Pakistan strategic cooperation

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington looked forward to exploring cooperation with Pakistan on critical minerals and hydrocarbons, with his comments coming in a statement issued by the State Department on Pakistan's Independence Day.

Washington and Islamabad hailed a trade deal last month, which Pakistan said would result in lower tariffs and increased investment.

Pakistan's Commerce Minister Jam Kamal has said Islamabad will offer US businesses opportunities to invest in mining projects primarily in the southwestern Baluchistan province through joint ventures with local companies, providing concessions such as lease grants.

The province is home to key mining projects, including Reko Diq, run by mining firm Barrick Gold and believed to be one of the world's largest gold and copper mines.

"We look forward to exploring new areas of economic cooperation, including critical minerals and hydrocarbons, and fostering dynamic business partnerships," Rubio said late on Wednesday.

"The United States deeply appreciates Pakistan's engagement on counterterrorism and trade."

Before President Donald Trump's administration, Islamabad's relationship with Washington had cooled in recent years, as the US drew closer to Pakistan's traditional adversary India to counter China's rise, among other factors.

Washington also resented Islamabad over Afghanistan, especially under former President Joe Biden's administration, which oversaw a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and the takeover of the country by the Taliban insurgency that Washington accused Islamabad of backing. Pakistan denied the charge.

In recent months, Washington's ties with Islamabad have improved. Trump took credit for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the Asian neighbors engaged in hostilities in May following an April attack in India-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan praised Trump while India maintained that New Delhi and Islamabad should resolve their issues directly without outside involvement.

The US and Pakistan held the latest round of counterterrorism talks in Islamabad on Tuesday. Washington has designated separatist militant group Baluchistan Liberation Army as a "foreign terrorist organization."

"The US-Pakistan counterterrorism dialogue joint statement is one of the most positive and effusive I've seen from these two countries on CT for quite a few years," Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst and writer for Foreign Policy magazine, said.