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Throughline July 11, 2019 36m

Four Days In August

NPR

Summary

The transcript discusses the CIA-orchestrated coup in Iran in 1953, which involved overthrowing democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh through a complex propaganda and destabilization campaign. Key elements included bribing press members, spreading disinformation about Mossadegh, and covert CIA operations led by Kermit Roosevelt to manipulate Iranian politics and remove the prime minister from power. The event fundamentally reshaped U.S.-Iran relations and represents a critical, often overlooked moment in Cold War history that had long-lasting geopolitical consequences.

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