Blue Ridge Liberation Project

In 1953, Iran had a democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh. His real offense was daring to take control of Iran’s oil so the wealth would benefit the Iranian people instead of foreign corporations.

The U.S. and British governments responded with a covert CIA and MI6 operation called Operation Ajax. They spread propaganda, bribed officials, and helped organize mobs to overthrow Iran’s elected government. Mossadegh was arrested, and the Shah was installed as a Western backed dictator who ruled for decades.