Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today The story of Iran, a CIA Coup, a Revolution and the turbulent history that followed
Jan 19, 2026
Featuring Sharlene Bakash, commentator on Khomeini and Iran’s modern politics. The conversation traces the 1953 coup, the Shah's rule and how foreign oil interests shaped Iran. It follows the 1979 revolution, Khomeini's rise and the consolidation of clerical power. It highlights Iranian women’s long history of activism and their central role in recent mass protests.
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1953 Coup Reshaped Iran's Political Center
- The 1953 CIA-British coup overthrew Iran's democratically elected prime minister and reshaped Iranian politics for decades.
- Stephen Kinzer explains the coup sidelined moderates and established the Shah's rule, setting the stage for later radicalisation and anti-American sentiment.
Kermit Roosevelt Bought Chaos To Topple Mossadegh
- Kermit Roosevelt ran a covert operation in Tehran using bribery of mullahs, journalists, MPs, police and hired street thugs to manufacture chaos and topple Mossadegh.
- Roosevelt paid gangs to stage riots, then funded counter-gangs and bribed press and military figures to create the impression of nationwide disorder.
Short-Term Success Caused Long-Term Blowback
- The coup seemed a short-term success but produced long-term blowback: a repressive Shah and then a violent, anti-Western 1979 Islamic Revolution.
- Stephen Kinzer links U.S. intervention to decades of instability, radicalisation, and the 1979 hostage crisis.
