As the world focuses on the current situation in Iran, let's go back in time to a crucial moment that is often conveniently overlooked by those who now call for "freedom" in Iran.

In 1953, the same Western powers that demand "freedom for the Iranians" played a crucial role in crushing the country's democratic movement.

The US and Britain orchestrated a secret operation to overthrow Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh. He was a nationalist who dared to nationalize Iran's oil industry, taking control of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later BP), run by the British.

The movement directly threatened British economic interests, triggering an embargo on Iranian oil, paralyzing the economy, and creating instability in the country.

Fearing that Iran would align with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the US and UK decided to act. Operation Ajax (CIA) and Operation Boot (MI6) were launched.

The US spent $1 million and recruited CIA agent Kermit Roosevelt Jr. to lead the mission. The plan involved propaganda to paint Mosaddegh as corrupt, bribing local press and officials, and even staging paid crowds to incite riots in Tehran.

Sounds familiar, right?

In August 1953, despite resistance from Mosaddegh's supporters, the coup was successful. The Shah was reinstated and Mosaddegh was imprisoned and sentenced. The Shah ruled with US support until the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

The declassified CIA documents from 2013 confirmed that this "anti-democratic intervention" was a disaster, leading to decades of instability and fueling rising anti-US sentiment in Iran.

This wasn't an isolated incident. This regime change model would be replicated in other countries, all in the name of "fighting communism" driven by corporate interests.