A significant stage in Iran-US political relations and the Nationalization of Iranian oil (Mohammed Mossadegh)

In the early stages of the Cold War, Iran attracted significant attention from global powers, a development clearly demonstrated by the 1953 coup d'état. During this period, various political factions emerged on Iran’s political scene, particularly the nationalists led by Mohammad Mossaddegh (1879–1967). At the core of Mossaddegh’s nationalist ideology was the protection of the country from foreign influence,  specifically, liberating Iran’s oil resources from foreign control.

By the late 1940s, liberal, anti-monarchist, and nationalist groups had united under the "National Front," founded by Mossaddegh. He was a vocal opponent of foreign economic concessions and spearheaded anti-colonial efforts in Iran during the 1950s. Although monarchists held the majority in Iran's parliament at the time, Mossaddegh and his small but active National Front bloc began campaigning to annul the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company's contract. Their goal was the nationalization of Iran’s oil industry, an idea that gained significant traction and widespread support across the country.

Notably, the groundwork for this movement had been laid before Mossaddegh’s rise. As early as 1947, the Iranian parliament had voted to reconsider the British oil concession, and the government had presented the company with a memorandum demanding more favorable terms for Iran.

Mossaddegh was acutely aware that nationalizing Iran’s oil industry would present serious economic challenges and provoke strong resistance from the British. Nevertheless, he considered such action necessary for securing Iran’s full sovereignty. Mossaddegh especially hoped for support from the United States. He and his supporters believed that, following nationalization, the U.S. would provide loans and purchase Iranian oil. This belief was rooted in the perception of the United States as a non-imperialist force in Iran at the time.

However, the reality proved quite different. Despite its seemingly positive image, it was the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that played a leading role in orchestrating the 1953 coup in Iran. Through the nationalization of oil, Mossaddegh became the first leader from the Global South to directly challenge foreign control over natural resources. This gave rise to what came to be known as "Mossaddeghism" and the "Mossaddegh Syndrome"—a form of anti-colonial nationalism that soon became a source of inspiration for leaders across the developing world, reshaping the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.