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{{Short description|Iranian politician (1892–1963)}}
{{Infobox President
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
| name = Fazlollah Zahedi
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Fazlollah_zahedi.jpg
| image = Fazlollah Zahedi.jpg
| birth_date = 1897
| birth_date = {{birth date|1892|5|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = ], ]
| birth_place = ], ]
| death_date = 2 September 1963
| death_date = {{death date and age|1963|9|2|1892|4|17|df=y}}
| death_place = ], ]
| order = ] ] | death_place = ], ]
| resting_place = Zahedi Family Tomb, ], Iran
| term_start = 19 August 1953
| term_end = 7 April 1955 | order = 36th
| office = Prime Minister of Iran
| monarch = ]
| term_start = 19 August 1953 {{efn|name=reign|
| predecessor = ]
] took office on the 13th of August 1953 by the Shah's royal decree, remained unrecognised by the Iranian Government until after the overthrow of Mosaddegh on the 19th.}}
| successor = ]
| order2 = ] | term_end = 7 April 1955
| monarch = ]
| term_start2 = 7 April 1953
| predecessor = ]
| term_end2 = 29 April 1953
| primeminister2 = ] | successor = ]
| order2 = ]
| predecessor2 = Abdol-Hossein Meftah
| successor2 = Abdollah Entezam | term_start2 = 7 April 1953
| party = ] | term_end2 = 29 April 1953
| primeminister2 = ]
| alma_mater =
| predecessor2 = Abdol-Hossein Meftah
| religion = ] ]
| spouse = | successor2 = ]
| order3 = ]
| website =
|nickname = | term_start3 = 28 April 1951
| term_end3 = 5 August 1951
|allegiance= ]
| primeminister3 = ]
|serviceyears= 1920-1963
| predecessor3 = ]
|rank=
| successor3 = ]
|commands= ] and statesman
| party =
|unit=
| alma_mater =
|battles=
| spouse = Khadijeh Pirnia ol-Moluk (divorced)<ref></ref>
|awards=
| children = 2, including ]
| relatives = ] (father-in-law)
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| serviceyears = 1920–1953
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'''Fazlollah Zahedi''' ({{langx|fa|فضل‌الله زاهدی|Fazlollāh Zāhedi}}, pronounced {{IPA|fa|fæzloɫˈɫɒːh zɒːheˈdiː|}}; 17 May 1892 – 2 September 1963) was an Iranian ], statesman, and military strongman who replaced the Iranian Prime Minister ] through a ] supported by the United States and the United Kingdom.


==Early life==
'''Mohammad Fazlollah Zahedi''' (Persian: '''محمد فضل الله زاهدی''') (c. 1897- 2 September 1963) was an Iranian ] and statesman who replaced democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister ] through a western-backed ], in which he played a major role.
==Biography==
===Early years=== ===Early years===
Born in ] on 17 May 1892,<ref> Rouydad (in Persian). Retrieved 11 August 2021</ref> Fazlollah Zahedi was the son of Abol Hassan "Bassir Diwan" Zahedi, a wealthy landowner at the city of Hamedan. He was a descendant of the ] ]s ] and ] ], the ] of the ], and through his mother, Djavaher Khanom, he traced his descent to the dynastic ruler ]. Through him, Zahedi was a distant relative of ].<ref>{{cite book|author=Andrew Scott Cooper|title=]. The Pahlavis and the Final Days of Imperial Iran|page=92|isbn= 978-0805098976|date=2016|publisher=Henry Holt and Co.}}</ref>
Born in ] in 1897, Fazlollah Zahedi was the son of Abol Hassan "Bassir Diwan" Zahedi, a wealthy land owner at the city of ]. During his service at the ]n-trained Iranian ], one of his military superiors was ], who later became the ]. Zahedi was among the officers dispatched to ] to put an end to the ] of ]. At the age of 23, as a company commander, Zahedi led troops into battle against rebel tribesmen in the northern provinces.<ref>Kinzer, Stephen, ''All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror'', Stephen Kinzer, John Wiley and Sons, 2003
p.142</ref> Two years later Reza Shah promoted him to the rank of ].


During his service at the ]n-trained Iranian ], one of his military superiors was ], who later became the ]. Zahedi was among the officers dispatched to ] to put an end to the ] of ]. At the age of 23, as a company commander, Zahedi led troops into battle against rebel tribesmen in the northern provinces.<ref name=skin>Stephen Kinzer. (2003). ''All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror'', John Wiley and Sons, pp. 102, 142, 195-196</ref> Two years later Reza Shah promoted him to the rank of ]. He was involved in the overthrow of ]'s government in 1920 with the help of ].
He was also involved in the overthrow of ]'s government in 1920. It was Colonel Zahedi who arrested Sheikh ] and brought him to ].{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}


During Reza Shah's reign, General Zahedi was named (1926) military governor of ] province, holding the hub of Iran's oil industry, and in 1932 chief of national police, one of the nation's top internal posts. During ] he was appointed (1941) commanding general of the ] Division. Following the forced abdication of Reza Shah in 1941, Zahedi was arrested by British forces, allegedly for his sympathy for ]{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}. He was arrested in his own office by ], who details the adventure in his 1949 memoir '']''. Zahedi was flown out of the country and interned in ] until the end of the war.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} During Reza Shah's reign, General Zahedi was named military governor of ] province in 1926, his first important government position, and in 1932 chief of national police, one of the nation's top internal posts. In 1941 he was appointed commanding general of the ] division.


===Return from Internment=== ==Arrest and internment==
Following the forced abdication of Reza Shah in 1941, the British came to believe that Zahedi was planning a general uprising in cooperation with ] forces, and as one of the worst ], was responsible for widespread popular discontent.<ref name=Maclean>Fitzroy Maclean. (1949). ''Eastern Approaches''. Jonathan Cape, London.</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Adrian O′Sullivan|title=Espionage and Counterintelligence in Occupied Persia (Iran): The Success of the Allied Secret Services, 1941-45|year=2015|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-1-137-55556-4|pages=120–131}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Wm. Roger Louis|title=Ends of British Imperialism: The Scramble for Empire, Suez, and Decolonization|year=2007|publisher=I. B. Tauris|isbn=978-1-84511-347-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NQnpQNKeKKAC&pg=PA776|page=776}}</ref> He was arrested in his own office by ], who details the operation, codenamed PONGO, in his 1949 memoir '']''. On searching Zahedi's bedroom Maclean found "a collection of automatic weapons of German manufacture, a good deal of silk underwear, some opium, an illustrated register of the prostitutes of Isfahan," and correspondence from a local German agent.<ref name=Maclean/> Zahedi was flown out of the country and interned in ].<ref name=Maclean/>
Returned from internment in Palestine in 1945, during the reign of ] (Reza Shah's son and successor), General Zahedi became Inspector of military forces in southern Iran. He became once more chief of national police (''Shahrbani'') in 1949, when ] appointed him as chief of the ''Shahrbani'' Police Forces, in order to counter the growing threat of Sepahbod ].{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}


===1950s=== ===Return from internment===
After returning from internment in 1945 during the reign of ] (Reza Shah's son and successor), General Zahedi became Inspector of military forces in southern Iran. He became once more chief of national police (]) in 1949, when Mohammad Reza Shah appointed him as chief of the ''Shahrbani'' Police Forces, in order to counter the growing threat of Sepahbod ].{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}
After retiring from the army, he was named Senator in 1950. Zahedi was appointed Minister of the Interior (1951) in ]'s administration, a post he would retain when Dr. Mohammad ] became ]. Zahedi actively supported the new government's nationalisation of the oil industry, which had previously been owned by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, now BP.<ref>Kinzer, Stephen, ''All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror'', Stephen Kinzer, John Wiley and Sons, 2003, p.195-196</ref> However, he was at odds with Mossadegh over his increasing tolerance for the outlawed communist party ], which had boldly demonstrated in favor of nationalisation. Both of these moves antagonised the Western Powers, especially the ] and the United States. Zahedi was dismissed by Prime Minister Mossadegh after a bloody crackdown on pro-nationalization protesters in mid 1951 in which 20 people were killed and 2000 wounded.<ref>Kinzer, Stephen, ''All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror'', Stephen Kinzer, John Wiley and Sons, 2003, p.102</ref>


==After 1945==
Zahedi finally broke with Mossadegh, with the latter accusing him of fostering plans for a coup. Meanwhile, ] levied by the Western Powers significantly curtailed Iranian oil exports, leading to an economic crisis. ] among several ] in southern Iran and labor unrest among oil-field workers put further pressures on the government.
===The 1950s===
After retiring from the army, he was named Senator in 1950. Zahedi was appointed minister of interior in ]'s administration in 1951, a post he would retain when Mohammad Mosaddegh became prime minister. Zahedi actively supported the new government's nationalisation of the oil industry, which had previously been owned by the ], now BP.<ref name=skin/> However, he was at odds with Mosaddegh over his increasing tolerance for the outlawed communist party ], which had boldly demonstrated in favor of nationalisation. Both of these moves antagonised the Western Powers, especially the United Kingdom and the United States. Zahedi was dismissed by Prime Minister Mosaddegh after a bloody crackdown on pro-nationalization protesters in mid-1951 in which 20 people were killed and 2000 wounded.<ref name=skin/>


Zahedi finally broke with Mosaddegh, with the latter accusing him of fostering plans for a coup. Meanwhile, ] levied by the Western Powers significantly curtailed Iranian oil exports, leading to ]. ] among several ] in southern Iran and labor unrest among oil-field workers put further pressures on the government.
===1953 Coup===

===1953 coup===
{{main|1953 Iranian coup d'état}} {{main|1953 Iranian coup d'état}}
] ] at the Shah's Tehran palace on 13 December 1953]]
At the behest of the British and American government, the Iranian military carried out a coup d'état which put an end to Mossadeq's rule and the era of constitutional monarchy and replaced it by direct rule of the Shah. The newly-formed ], along with the British intelligence agency ], took an active role in the developments, terming their involvement ]. Zahedi and his followers, financed by the foreign intelligence services, planted newspaper articles in Iranian publications and paid agent provocateurs to start riots. There were such riots in Tehran and other cities. Fearing his arrest, Zahedi went into hiding. At the behest of the British and American governments, the Iranian military carried out a coup d'état which put an end to Mosaddegh's rule and the era of constitutional monarchy and replaced it by direct rule of the Shah. The newly formed ], along with the British intelligence agency ], took an active role in the developments, terming their involvement ]. Zahedi and his followers, financed by the foreign intelligence services, planted newspaper articles in Iranian publications and paid agent provocateurs to start riots. There were such riots in Tehran and other cities. Fearing his arrest, Zahedi went into hiding.


On August 15, after the first attempted coup d'état failed, the Shah fled first to ] and then to ], ], after signing two decrees, one dismissing Mossadegh and the other naming Zahedi to replace him as Prime Minister. Both decrees were in direct violation of the Iranian constitution which stated that only the Parliament had the right to elect and dismiss Prime Ministers. On 15 August, after the first attempted coup d'état failed, the Shah fled first to ], ], and then to ], Italy, after signing two decrees, one dismissing Mosaddegh and the other naming Zahedi to replace him as Prime Minister. Both decrees were in accordance with clause 46 of the Iranian constitution, which stated that the Shah had the power to appoint all Ministers.


Backed by the ] and the ], and encouraged by the intelligence agents ] and ], Zahedi staged a second ] on the 19 August 1953. Military units arrested Mossadeq at his home at night. The Shah returned from ] on 22 August 1953.<ref>Kinzer, Stephen, ''All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror'', Stephen Kinzer, John Wiley and Sons, 2003</ref> Backed by the United Kingdom and the United States, and encouraged by the intelligence agents ] and ], Zahedi staged a second coup on 19 August 1953. Military units arrested Mosaddegh at his home at night. The Shah returned from exile on 22 August 1953.<ref name=skin/> According to the CIA, Zahedi was chosen because he was acceptable to the United States and Britain, had a long record of opposing Mosaddegh, had a significant following, and was willing to take the job.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/iran/2018-02-12/cia-declassifies-more-zendebad-shah-internal-study-1953-iran-coup | title=CIA declassifies more of "Zendebad, Shah!" – internal study of 1953 Iran coup &#124; National Security Archive }}</ref>


===Final Exile=== ===Premiership and later years===
General Zahedi was appointed prime minister in August 1953, and his cabinet was declared on 20 August.<ref name=jab>{{cite book|author=James A. Bill|title=The Eagle and the Lion. The Tragedy of American-Iranian Relations|date=1988 |publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven and London|isbn=978-0-300-04412-6|url=https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300159516-006|pages=98, 102|doi=10.12987/9780300159516-006|s2cid=246116954}}</ref> One-thirds of the ministers in Zahedi's cabinet were army officers.<ref name=jab/> His tenure as prime minister ended in April 1955, and he was replaced by ].<ref name=jab/>


General Zahedi's role as Iran's Prime Minister ended in 1955. His final post was ] to the ], in ].{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} His final post was ] to the ], in ],{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} where he died in 1963.<ref>{{cite book|title=Heads of States and Governments Since 1945|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2014|ISBN=9781134264902|page=402}}</ref>


==Family== ==Personal life==
] ]
Zahedi married Khadijeh Pirnia ol-Moluk, daughter of ] (titled ''Mo'tamen al Molk''), and maternal granddaughter to ]. They had a son, ], and a daughter, Homa.
Zahedi was a descendant of the ] ]s ] (1216 - 1301) and ] ], the ] of the ], and through his mother, Djavaher Khanom, he traced his descent to the dynastic ruler ].


Ardeshir was a politician and diplomat and married ], the daughter of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi from his first marriage to Princess ], daughter of King ].
Zahedi married Khadijeh Pirnia, daughter of Mirza Hussein Khan Pirnia (titled ''Motamen-ol-Molk''), and granddaughter to ] ] (1853 - 1907). They had a son, ], and a daughter, Homa.


His daughter ] was a member of Parliament, representing the constituency of the ]. She was married to journalist and politician ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Tehran Is Calm|newspaper=]|date=8 November 1978
His son ] became a politician and ] and married ], the daughter of ] from his first marriage to Princess ], daughter of King ].
|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/11/08/tehran-is-calm/e7378f5e-6604-43c6-8396-8d03b4ecb421/|access-date=4 September 2023}}</ref>


According to '']'' report a day after the 1953 coup, "General Zahedi married twice, but it is not known here whether his second wife is living. By his second wife he had two sons, one of whom lives in ], Australia, while the second son, an air force officer, was killed in a crash."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://partners.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/082053iran-army.html|work=The New York Times|title=Royalists Oust Mossadegh; Army Seizes Helm}}</ref>
His daughter Homa Zahedi was a member of Parliament, representing the constituency of the region of Hamadan.

According to The New York Times report a day after the 1953 coup, "General Zahedi has been married twice, but it is not known here whether his second wife is living. By his second wife he had two sons, one of whom lives in Sydney, Australia, while the second son, an air force officer, was killed in a crash."<ref></ref>


==See also== ==See also==
* ]
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*]
*]


==References used== == Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
* 'Alí Rizā Awsatí (عليرضا اوسطى), ''Iran in the past three centuries'' (''Irān dar Se Qarn-e Goz̲ashteh'' - ايران در سه قرن گذشته), Volumes 1 and 2 (Paktāb Publishing - انتشارات پاکتاب, Tehran, Iran, 2003). ISBN 9-649340-661 (Vol. 1), ISBN 9-649340-653 (Vol. 2).
* '' ] ''


==References== ==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}<!--added above External links/Sources by script-assisted edit--> {{Reflist}}<!--added above External links/Sources by script-assisted edit-->


===Bibliography===
== External links ==
* 'Alí Rizā Awsatí (عليرضا اوسطى), ''Iran in the past three centuries'' (''Irān dar Se Qarn-e Goz̲ashteh'' - ايران در سه قرن گذشته), Volumes 1 and 2 (Paktāb Publishing - انتشارات پاکتاب, Tehran, Iran, 2003). {{ISBN|964-93406-6-1}} (Vol. 1), {{ISBN|964-93406-5-3}} (Vol. 2).
* . ''The New York Times'', April 16, 2000.
*
*
*
*
*



==External links==
{{commons category|Fazlollah Zahedi}}
* . ''The New York Times'', 16 April 2000.
*
*
*


{{S-start}} {{S-start}}
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title= ] |
years= 1953 &ndash; 1955 |
after= ]}}
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before= Abdol-Hossein Meftah|
title= ] |
years= 1953|
after= Abdollah Entezam}}
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title= ]|
years= 1951 &ndash; 1953 |
after= ]}}

{{s-mil}} {{s-mil}}
{{succession box| {{succession box
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after= ]}} | after = ]
}}
{{succession box| {{succession box
before= ]| | before = Haj Ali Razmara
title= Chief commander of ]| | title = Chief commander of Imperial Army
years=1950 &ndash;1951| | years = 1950&ndash;1951
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}}
{{s-off}}
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| title = ]
| years = 1951
| after = Hossein Ala'
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| title = ]
| years = 1953
| after = Abdollah Entezam
}}
{{succession box
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| title = ]
| years = 1953&ndash;1955
| after = Hossein Ala'
}}
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{{IranPMs}} {{IranPMs}}
{{Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Iran}} {{Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Iran}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Commander in Chiefs of the Iranian Army}}


<!-- Metadata: see ] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME= Zahedi, Fazlollah
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Zahedi, Mohammad Fazlollah (full name)
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= General, statesman
|DATE OF BIRTH= 1897
|PLACE OF BIRTH= ], ]
|DATE OF DEATH= 2 September 1963
|PLACE OF DEATH= ], ]
}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Zahedi, Fazlollah}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Zahedi, Fazlollah}}
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Latest revision as of 04:06, 13 December 2024

Iranian politician (1892–1963)

Fazlollah Zahedi
36th Prime Minister of Iran
In office
19 August 1953  – 7 April 1955
MonarchMohammad Reza Pahlavi
Preceded byMohammad Mosaddegh
Succeeded byHossein Ala'
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
7 April 1953 – 29 April 1953
Prime MinisterMohammad Mosaddegh
Preceded byAbdol-Hossein Meftah
Succeeded byAbdullah Entezam
Minister of Interior
In office
28 April 1951 – 5 August 1951
Prime MinisterMohammad Mosaddegh
Preceded byHossein Ala'
Succeeded byAmirteymour Kalali
Personal details
Born(1892-05-17)17 May 1892
Hamedan, Sublime State of Persia
Died2 September 1963(1963-09-02) (aged 71)
Geneva, Switzerland
Resting placeZahedi Family Tomb, Imamzadeh Abdollah, Ray, Iran
SpouseKhadijeh Pirnia ol-Moluk (divorced)
Children2, including Ardeshir Zahedi
RelativesHossein Pirnia (father-in-law)
Military service
AllegianceImperial Iranian Army
Years of service1920–1953
RankLieutenant General
Awards

Fazlollah Zahedi (Persian: فضل‌الله زاهدی, romanized: Fazlollāh Zāhedi, pronounced [fæzloɫˈɫɒːh zɒːheˈdiː]; 17 May 1892 – 2 September 1963) was an Iranian lieutenant general, statesman, and military strongman who replaced the Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh through a coup d'état supported by the United States and the United Kingdom.

Early life

Early years

Born in Hamedan on 17 May 1892, Fazlollah Zahedi was the son of Abol Hassan "Bassir Diwan" Zahedi, a wealthy landowner at the city of Hamedan. He was a descendant of the Sufi mystics Sheikh Zahed Gilani and Sheikh Safi-ad-din Ardabili, the eponym of the Safavid dynasty, and through his mother, Djavaher Khanom, he traced his descent to the dynastic ruler Karim Khan Zand. Through him, Zahedi was a distant relative of Mohammad Mosaddegh.

During his service at the Imperial Russian-trained Iranian Cossack Brigade, one of his military superiors was Reza Khan, who later became the Iranian monarch. Zahedi was among the officers dispatched to Gilan to put an end to the Jangal movement of Mirza Kuchak Khan. At the age of 23, as a company commander, Zahedi led troops into battle against rebel tribesmen in the northern provinces. Two years later Reza Shah promoted him to the rank of brigadier general. He was involved in the overthrow of Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee's government in 1920 with the help of Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian.

During Reza Shah's reign, General Zahedi was named military governor of Khuzestan province in 1926, his first important government position, and in 1932 chief of national police, one of the nation's top internal posts. In 1941 he was appointed commanding general of the Isfahan division.

Arrest and internment

Following the forced abdication of Reza Shah in 1941, the British came to believe that Zahedi was planning a general uprising in cooperation with German forces, and as one of the worst grain-hoarders, was responsible for widespread popular discontent. He was arrested in his own office by Fitzroy Maclean, who details the operation, codenamed PONGO, in his 1949 memoir Eastern Approaches. On searching Zahedi's bedroom Maclean found "a collection of automatic weapons of German manufacture, a good deal of silk underwear, some opium, an illustrated register of the prostitutes of Isfahan," and correspondence from a local German agent. Zahedi was flown out of the country and interned in Palestine.

Return from internment

After returning from internment in 1945 during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah (Reza Shah's son and successor), General Zahedi became Inspector of military forces in southern Iran. He became once more chief of national police (Shahrbani) in 1949, when Mohammad Reza Shah appointed him as chief of the Shahrbani Police Forces, in order to counter the growing threat of Sepahbod Haj Ali Razmara.

After 1945

The 1950s

After retiring from the army, he was named Senator in 1950. Zahedi was appointed minister of interior in Hossein Ala''s administration in 1951, a post he would retain when Mohammad Mosaddegh became prime minister. Zahedi actively supported the new government's nationalisation of the oil industry, which had previously been owned by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, now BP. However, he was at odds with Mosaddegh over his increasing tolerance for the outlawed communist party Tudeh, which had boldly demonstrated in favor of nationalisation. Both of these moves antagonised the Western Powers, especially the United Kingdom and the United States. Zahedi was dismissed by Prime Minister Mosaddegh after a bloody crackdown on pro-nationalization protesters in mid-1951 in which 20 people were killed and 2000 wounded.

Zahedi finally broke with Mosaddegh, with the latter accusing him of fostering plans for a coup. Meanwhile, sanctions levied by the Western Powers significantly curtailed Iranian oil exports, leading to an economic crisis. Disorder among several ethnic groups in southern Iran and labor unrest among oil-field workers put further pressures on the government.

1953 coup

Main article: 1953 Iranian coup d'état
Zahedi (far left) with Richard Nixon at the Shah's Tehran palace on 13 December 1953

At the behest of the British and American governments, the Iranian military carried out a coup d'état which put an end to Mosaddegh's rule and the era of constitutional monarchy and replaced it by direct rule of the Shah. The newly formed CIA, along with the British intelligence agency MI6, took an active role in the developments, terming their involvement Operation Ajax. Zahedi and his followers, financed by the foreign intelligence services, planted newspaper articles in Iranian publications and paid agent provocateurs to start riots. There were such riots in Tehran and other cities. Fearing his arrest, Zahedi went into hiding.

On 15 August, after the first attempted coup d'état failed, the Shah fled first to Baghdad, Iraq, and then to Rome, Italy, after signing two decrees, one dismissing Mosaddegh and the other naming Zahedi to replace him as Prime Minister. Both decrees were in accordance with clause 46 of the Iranian constitution, which stated that the Shah had the power to appoint all Ministers.

Backed by the United Kingdom and the United States, and encouraged by the intelligence agents Kermit Roosevelt Jr and Donald Wilber, Zahedi staged a second coup on 19 August 1953. Military units arrested Mosaddegh at his home at night. The Shah returned from exile on 22 August 1953. According to the CIA, Zahedi was chosen because he was acceptable to the United States and Britain, had a long record of opposing Mosaddegh, had a significant following, and was willing to take the job.

Premiership and later years

General Zahedi was appointed prime minister in August 1953, and his cabinet was declared on 20 August. One-thirds of the ministers in Zahedi's cabinet were army officers. His tenure as prime minister ended in April 1955, and he was replaced by Hussein Ala.

His final post was Ambassador to the United Nations, in Geneva, where he died in 1963.

Personal life

Zahedi with his daughter Homa and his son Ardeshir

Zahedi married Khadijeh Pirnia ol-Moluk, daughter of Hossein Pirnia (titled Mo'tamen al Molk), and maternal granddaughter to Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar. They had a son, Ardeshir, and a daughter, Homa.

Ardeshir was a politician and diplomat and married Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi, the daughter of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi from his first marriage to Princess Fawzia of Egypt, daughter of King Fuad I.

His daughter Homa Zahedi was a member of Parliament, representing the constituency of the Hamadan Province. She was married to journalist and politician Dariush Homayoon.

According to The New York Times report a day after the 1953 coup, "General Zahedi married twice, but it is not known here whether his second wife is living. By his second wife he had two sons, one of whom lives in Sydney, Australia, while the second son, an air force officer, was killed in a crash."

See also

Notes

  1. De Jure took office on the 13th of August 1953 by the Shah's royal decree, remained unrecognised by the Iranian Government until after the overthrow of Mosaddegh on the 19th.

References

Citations

  1. فضل الله زاهدی
  2. سپهبد فضل الله زاهدی ؛ نخست وزیر نظامی که متخصص سرکوب بود Rouydad (in Persian). Retrieved 11 August 2021
  3. Andrew Scott Cooper (2016). The Fall of Heaven. The Pahlavis and the Final Days of Imperial Iran. Henry Holt and Co. p. 92. ISBN 978-0805098976.
  4. ^ Stephen Kinzer. (2003). All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror, John Wiley and Sons, pp. 102, 142, 195-196
  5. ^ Fitzroy Maclean. (1949). Eastern Approaches. Jonathan Cape, London.
  6. Adrian O′Sullivan (2015). Espionage and Counterintelligence in Occupied Persia (Iran): The Success of the Allied Secret Services, 1941-45. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 120–131. ISBN 978-1-137-55556-4.
  7. Wm. Roger Louis (2007). Ends of British Imperialism: The Scramble for Empire, Suez, and Decolonization. I. B. Tauris. p. 776. ISBN 978-1-84511-347-6.
  8. "CIA declassifies more of "Zendebad, Shah!" – internal study of 1953 Iran coup | National Security Archive".
  9. ^ James A. Bill (1988). The Eagle and the Lion. The Tragedy of American-Iranian Relations. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 98, 102. doi:10.12987/9780300159516-006. ISBN 978-0-300-04412-6. S2CID 246116954.
  10. Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Taylor & Francis. 2014. p. 402. ISBN 9781134264902.
  11. "Tehran Is Calm". The Washington Post. 8 November 1978. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  12. "Royalists Oust Mossadegh; Army Seizes Helm". The New York Times.

Bibliography

  • 'Alí Rizā Awsatí (عليرضا اوسطى), Iran in the past three centuries (Irān dar Se Qarn-e Goz̲ashteh - ايران در سه قرن گذشته), Volumes 1 and 2 (Paktāb Publishing - انتشارات پاکتاب, Tehran, Iran, 2003). ISBN 964-93406-6-1 (Vol. 1), ISBN 964-93406-5-3 (Vol. 2).

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Military offices
Preceded byAboulfazl Sa'datmand Chief commander of Imperial Army
1938–1942 		Succeeded byHaj Ali Razmara
Preceded byHaj Ali Razmara Chief commander of Imperial Army
1950–1951 		Succeeded byMohammad Amir Khatami
Political offices
Preceded byHossein Ala' Minister of Interior of Iran
1951 		Succeeded byHossein Ala'
Preceded byAbdol-Hossein Meftah Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran
1953 		Succeeded byAbdollah Entezam
Preceded byMohammad Mosaddegh Prime Minister of Iran
1953–1955 		Succeeded byHossein Ala'
Prime ministers of Iran (list)
Qajar Iran
(1907–1925)
Pahlavi Iran
(1925–1979)
Interim Government of Iran
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Islamic Republic of Iran
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