American Coup

The 2009 Iranian elections, considered by many to have been fraudulent, brought the subject of democracy in the Islamic Republic to worldwide attention. It is a commonly held belief that it is impossible to establish a truly free democracy in Iran, neither now nor any time in the future. However, history teaches us that there was already one opportunity for a democratic government in that country 50 years ago, and this chance was dashed by the intervention of the American CIA. reconstructs this until-now neglected chapter in history. Combining interviews with experts and archive footage, this film delves into the considerations that lay at the root of the decision to stage a coup to remove Premier Mohammed Mossadegh, who was democratically elected in 1951. The primary justification behind the coup was that Mossadegh nationalized the oil trade, thereby excluding the British who had wielded power up until that point. The question that remains is to what extent the actions of the United States and Great Britain paved the way for the Islamification of Iran, and all the ramifications that this has entailed for human rights there.