Iranian court begins first trial session addressing the US-led 1953 coup
An Iranian court has initiated legal proceedings against the US administration and its officials concerning the 1953 coup that ousted Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, who was democratically elected.
The inaugural session of the trial took place at the 55th division of the court responsible for international matters within Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Judicial Complex on Sunday, coinciding with the 71st anniversary of the coup.
The court is set to review a lawsuit initiated by approximately 402,000 Iranians against six American individuals and entities for their involvement in the overthrow of Mosaddegh, which strengthened the reign of the pro-Western monarch, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, until the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Attorney Shami Aghdam, who is defending the accused, stated that records indicate the CIA, in collaboration with its UK equivalent MI6, orchestrated the 1953 coup against Iran’s lawful government by employing both domestic and foreign operatives.
Washington and London, it continued, orchestrated the military coup by breaching international laws and meddling in Iran’s domestic affairs. Their aim was to preserve their influence and control within the government, safeguard their interests, and exploit the nation’s resources.
It further stated that the coup was orchestrated by military and political leaders connected to the US and UK governments, along with hired enforcers.
“The coup actually initiated an era of total US dominance over Iran, making the country more reliant than ever and hindering its independence and development. This dominance persisted for over 25 years, resulting in significant financial, material, and spiritual damage to both the nation and its people.”
The 1953 coup will forever be a blemish on the histories of the US and UK
On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani stated in an X post that the US and UK regimes will always bear the shame of overthrowing the Mosaddegh government and providing political, security, and military support to the ensuing tyranny.
“Slavery, colonialism, coups, and military interventions in foreign nations are just segments of the grim and disgraceful history of US and UK interference in global matters,” he stated.
“Despite their dismal track records, these two nations currently back the oppressive and discriminatory Israeli regime and the atrocities in Gaza, all while self-proclaiming themselves as champions of democracy and human rights!”
The 1953 coup triggered a chain of events, culminating in riots in the streets of Tehran, the Iranian capital. These upheavals led to the removal and arrest of Mosaddegh, a figure widely admired in Iran for nationalizing the country’s oil industry and wresting control from predominantly British hands.
It also facilitated Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s return from exile, allowing him to remain in power until Imam Khomeini led the Islamic Revolution to victory.
Mosaddegh, convicted of treason by a court martial following the coup, spent three years in solitary confinement and ultimately passed away under house arrest in exile in 1967.
In 2013, the United States officially recognized its involvement in the 2013 coup by declassifying intelligence documents.
