On August 15, 1953, U.S. and British intelligence operatives put into motion a plan to remove Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh from power. The coup reached completion on August 19, when the military, backed by CIA-supported street protests, overthrew Mossadegh, installed a new prime minister, and reinstated Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the primary position of power. The events sparked massive demonstrations, leaving at least 300 people dead in gunbattles in Tehran.
From The Archives: The 1953 Iranian Coup
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A communist newspaper kiosk is burned by pro-shah demonstrators in Tehran on August 19, 1953.
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Soldiers chase rioters during civil unrest in Tehran.
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A crowd of demonstrators tears down the sign of the Iran Party, part of Mossadegh's National Front, at its headquarters on August 19.
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Protesters run in the streets of Tehran.
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Soldiers surround the parliament building on August 19.
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An issue of "Tehran Mosavvar" shows a picture of the unrest following the coup.
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Soldiers clash with protesters in the streets of Tehran.
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Iranian Army officers and supporters of the monarchy gather on August 27, shortly after the shah returned from a brief period of exile to reclaim power.
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Former Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh steps off a plane in August 1953.
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Ousted Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh during one of his frequent interruptions of court proceedings in Tehran's military tribunal in November 1953. He was tried for treason, for which he served three years in prison. He died under house arrest in 1967.