Situation in the Tudeh Party
CIA on Status of Iranian Communists (Jan. 1954)

Arash Norouzi
The Mossadegh Project | August 23, 2022                     


CIA Documents on Iran, Mossadegh, 1953 Coup | 1951-1954

A brief CIA memo on the current strength and perspective of the Tudeh Party in Iran.

CIA Documents on Iran, Mossadegh, 1953 Coup




359. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

CS–28871

Washington, January 12, 1954.

SUBJECT
        Situation in the Tudeh Party

SOURCE
        [1 line not declassified]

On 21 December 1953 the responsible of a Tudeh Bakhsh Committee told Source:

a. that the imperialists spare no efforts to blow up the Tudeh Party from the inside. A gap has been created between the Central Committee and the Tehran Provincial Committee. The Party is presently being directed by the Tehran Provincial Committee;

b. that, because of developments following the events of 19 August 1953, the Party has been divided into several groups. The dissension is so deep that everyone suspects his fellow-comrades; however, the Party is exerting efforts to conceal this situation;

c. that ordinary Party comrades, who are unaware of this situation, expect the Party to organize a revolt. The self-teaching of comrades should be strengthened so that they may understand that under existing conditions it is impossible for the Party to seize power. Any revolt requires conditions which do not exist at present. The Party ought to have influence among the peasants, but it does not. Talk among members concerning a sufficient number of arms which are supposed to be at the disposal of the Party is not correct. The Party had started to collect arms only shortly before the events of 19 August 1953 took place. [CIA-assisted overthrow of Premier Mossadegh]


[Annotations by Arash Norouzi]

• Source: Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Iran, 1951–1954 (2017)

“Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80–00810A, Box 33, Folder 28, CS Information Reports 28870–28879. Secret; Security Information.” — State Dept. Office of the Historian.


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Related links:

Tudeh Newspaper “Shojat” Predicts Iran Coup Plot (Aug. 1953)

Iranian Tudeh Party Is No Longer Illegal | CIA, May 1953

Probable Developments In Iran | CIA, Oct. 5, 1953



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