What was the name of the US operation to overthrow the Iranian government in 1953?

The name of the US operation to overthrow the Iranian government in 1953 was Operation Ajax. It was the CIA’s codename for the covert effort, formally known as the TPAJAX Project, that helped remove Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and restore the authority of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The crisis began after Mosaddegh’s government nationalized Iran’s oil industry in 1951, challenging the British-controlled Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Britain imposed an oil boycott and sought his removal. In 1953, the British MI6 and the American CIA worked with Iranian royalists, military officers, politicians, and paid demonstrators. The operation used propaganda, political pressure, and organized unrest to weaken Mosaddegh’s government.

The coup unfolded between August 15 and 19, 1953. After an initial failure, forces loyal to the Shah seized key institutions in Tehran and overthrew Mosaddegh. General Fazlollah Zahedi became prime minister, while the Shah’s position grew substantially stronger. Britain’s role is often identified by the separate codename Operation Boot.

Operation Ajax is frequently confused with Operation PBSUCCESS, the 1954 CIA-backed coup in Guatemala, or Operation Cyclone, the later effort to arm Afghan fighters. The Iranian coup had long-term consequences, contributing to anti-American sentiment and the 1979 Iranian Revolution.