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World Service,15 Aug 2023,9 mins

Iran: How the prime minister was overthrown in 1953

Witness History

Available for over a year

The coup of 1953 changed the course of Iranian history. The USA - with British help - overthrew a nationalist prime minister and installed the Shah in power. In 2010, Alan Johnston heard archive recordings of the CIA officer who played a part and spoke to Hedayat Matine-Daftary, the grandson of Mohammed Mossadeq, the deposed prime minister. (Photo: crowds of people protest against the Iran coup in 1953. Credit: Getty Images)

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