Decades of U.S. Meddling in Iran Continues to Haunt

Historian examines how U.S. overthrow of democratically elected Iranian leader in 1953 led to lasting tensions

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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In a commentary, historian W.D. Ehrhart examines the long history of U.S. intervention in Iran, dating back to the 1953 CIA-backed coup that overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. Ehrhart argues this action, taken to protect Western oil interests, paved the way for the rise of the repressive Iranian regime that the U.S. now seeks to confront militarily, despite the country's long history of hostility toward the U.S. stemming from these past actions.

Why it matters

The article provides important historical context around the U.S.-Iran relationship, highlighting how past interventions and regime change efforts by the U.S. government have contributed to the current tensions and mistrust between the two countries. Understanding this history is crucial for evaluating any potential future U.S. military action against Iran.

The details

In the early 1950s, the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, nationalized the country's oil industry, which was controlled by British and American oil companies. In response, the U.S. and Britain engineered a coup that overthrew Mossadegh and reinstalled the authoritarian Shah Reza Pahlavi as ruler of Iran. Over the next three decades, the Shah's repressive rule, backed by the U.S., led to growing resentment among Iranians, ultimately culminating in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Shah's regime and brought the Ayatollahs to power.

  • In the early 1950s, Mohammad Mossadegh was democratically elected as Prime Minister of Iran.
  • In 1953, the U.S. and Britain orchestrated a coup that overthrew Mossadegh and reinstalled the Shah Reza Pahlavi as ruler of Iran.
  • Over the next three decades, the Shah's repressive rule, backed by the U.S., led to growing resentment among Iranians.
  • In 1979, the Islamic Revolution toppled the Shah's regime and brought the Ayatollahs to power in Iran.

The players

Mohammad Mossadegh

The democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran in the early 1950s who nationalized the country's oil industry, leading to his overthrow in a U.S.-backed coup.

Shah Reza Pahlavi

The authoritarian ruler of Iran installed by the U.S. and Britain after the 1953 coup, whose repressive 30-year rule contributed to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

W.D. Ehrhart

A retired history and English teacher and author of a Vietnam War memoir trilogy, who provides historical analysis of U.S. interventions in Iran.

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What they’re saying

“Iranian colleagues of his begged him to get the United States to withdraw its support from the shah. When he left Iran, they even gave him letters urging a change in U.S. policy that they begged him to deliver to the U.S. State Department.”

— W.D. Ehrhart, Author (nhgazette.com)

“If the Iranian government has been hostile to the U.S. ever since 1979, is that any surprise? I mean seriously, given U.S. attitudes and policies with regard to Iran, and what the U.S. has done and not done for the people of Iran since 1979, let alone since 1953, what would any reasonable person expect?”

— W.D. Ehrhart, Author (nhgazette.com)

The takeaway

The article highlights how the U.S. government's past interventions and regime change efforts in Iran, driven by a desire to protect Western oil interests, have had long-lasting consequences that continue to shape the contentious relationship between the two countries. This history is crucial for understanding the current tensions and evaluating any potential future U.S. military action against Iran.