British Diplomatic Oil Crisis: Contemporary Anglo-Saxon Geopolitical Rivalries in the Persian Gulf: Drawing a Lesson? Or Sir Anthony Eden‘s Delusion of Grandeur.
parts of
the world where they had established economic and political
interests. Easy access to the rich Iranian oil reserves by the west
and US concern about a communist takeover in Iran, and Musaddiq’s
uncompromising stand, brought a shift in the United States’ policy
to the British position. The new American administration ‘came to
see Mossadeq as too destabilising a factor.’
61 Furthermore, Churchill and Eisenhower’s
relationship was warm as they were old wartime comrades. By
writing to the Iranian Prime Minister, Eisenhower informed him
of the United States refusal to give aid to Iran or to buy
Iranian oil.
The oil
cartel was indeed little troubled by such things. It
considered its triumph in the sphere international diplomacy to be
complete, and it only remained to impose its victorious regime on
Persia itself.62
The oil
cartel viewed Musaddiq’s government as unreasonable, and any
settlement with his administration would be futile and disastrous to
the international industry.
This
chapter was about the Conservative Government’s policy in its
coming to office in 1951 concerning the nationalisation of the
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company by the Iranian Government. The
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company was the most important British enterprise
abroad, and the major British interest in the Persian Gulf.
Attempts
were made to reach a negotiated settlement. The Truman
administration was of the opinion that a British military attack
would become a pretext for Soviet intervention in Iran. The fear of
a Communist takeover in Iran was justification for the United States
to act as a mediator in the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company’s crisis.
First, while the Iranian Prime Minister, Dr. Musaddiq, was
61. A.P. DOBSON, op. cit., p.
143.
62. L.P. ELWELL-SUTTON, op. cit., p. 298.
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