The United States officially acknowledged its role in the 1953 coup in Iran 10 years ago after declassifying a large trove of intelligence documents that made it clear that the overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, who was elected this week 70 years ago, was a joint effort of the CIA and MI6. The official position of the UK government is that it does not comment on intelligence matters.
Former British Labor Foreign Secretary (1977-1979) David Owen said the UK must finally admit it played a role in the 1953 coup in Iran.
Owen said that acknowledging the UK’s involvement in the overthrow of Iran’s last democratically elected leader was important to the credibility of Britain and the Iranian reform movement.
There are good reasons to believe that the United Kingdom played a role in sabotaging democratic development in 1953, along with the United States. By acknowledging that we were wrong and that we have damaged progress toward a democratic Iran, we now make reform more likely.
Owen said.
Cover photo: David Owen, then British Foreign Secretary, and Cyrus Vance, then US Secretary of State, in 1978. Photo credit: Sahm Doherty/Getty Images
