Operation Ajax

Why does a three‑day coup in 1953 still define how Iran sees the West and how the West plans for war?

Operation Ajax: The Secret War For Iran And The Roots Of Western Rage offers a sweeping yet accessible synthesis of one of the most important-and least honestly discussed-episodes in modern history.

Hichem Karoui opens with the discovery of oil in southwest Iran and the creation of the Anglo-Persian (later Anglo-Iranian) Oil Company, which turned Iranian crude into British power while leaving Iranians impoverished in their own land. From there, he traces the emergence of a modern Iranian national consciousness, the Constitutional Revolution, and the rise of Mohammad Mosaddegh as the embodiment of a demand that oil, sovereignty, and dignity belong to Iranians themselves.

As Mosaddegh nationalizes the oil industry, Britain retaliates with economic warfare, legal challenges, and covert sabotage. In the charged atmosphere of the early Cold War, London rebrands a fight over colonial privilege as a battle against communism-and slowly pulls Washington into the plot. Karoui details how MI6 and the CIA designed Operation TPAJAX, how Kermit Roosevelt built a clandestine network of clerics, officers, and street agents, and how propaganda turned Tehran's newspapers and radios into weapons.

The narrative climaxes with the failed coup of 16 August 1953, the Shah's brief flight, and the dramatic reversal of 19 August, when orchestrated crowds and wavering tanks tipped the balance. The book then follows the "victory" forward: the Shah's deepening autocracy, the terror of SAVAK, Iran's role as a U.S. client, and the eventual explosion of 1979 and the hostage crisis.

Written for general readers, students, and practitioners alike, Operation Ajax bridges archival research and clear storytelling. It is a powerful resource for anyone interested in Middle East history, international relations, energy politics, or the ethics-and costs-of covert intervention.