Iran Oil Consortium Documents

Archive of Related Memos, Cables, Etc. (1953-54)


The Mossadegh Project     
[Updated September 14, 2023]                                                   


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

Archive of U.S., British and Iranian documents on the Iran Oil Consortium Agreement of 1954. Includes memos, cables, correspondence, media and editorials. The transcribed documents are supplemented with in-depth analysis, footnotes, annotations and other background information, with regular updates to follow.

U.S. State Department Documents on Iran | 1951-1954
National Security Council (NSC) documents on Iran
British Foreign Office documents on Iran
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC/BP) | Archive




Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (BP)

Basis for the Settlement with Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. | March 12, 1954

Sir William Fraser’s Statement To AIOC Stockholders | May 1954

Statement by Anglo-Iranian Oil Company | August 5, 1954

AIOC’s Name Changed to British Petroleum Co., Ltd. | December 23, 1954


British Correspondence

Anthony Eden, Abdollah Entezam’s Messages on Iran Oil Deal | Aug. 5, 1954

Sec. Dulles and Anthony Eden’s Messages on Iran Oil Deal | August 5, 1954

Winston Churchill and the Shah Hail Anglo-Persian Friendship | Aug. 7, 1954


British Foreign Office

Resumption of Diplomatic Relations With Britain | October 13, 1953

Pierson Dixon, Henry Byroade Discuss Iran in Bermuda | December 8, 1953

Persian Oil: Anthony Eden Confirms Iran Oil Consortium Plans | Jan. 4, 1954

Anthony Eden’s Meeting With Sir William Fraser on Iranian Oil | Jan. 11, 1954

Relations Between the Shah and Her Majesty’s Embassy at Tehran | Jan. 16, 1954

Anthony Eden: AIOC Deserves 44% Share of Iranian Oil | February 22, 1954

Cabinet Talks Percentage, Compensation Re: Iranian Oil | March 17, 1954

Abdollah Entezam’s “Interview” With Shapoor Reporter | March 27, 1954

U.S., British Officials Iron Out Consortium Wrinkles | June 15, 1954

Iran Oil Consortium Nearing Agreement | Anthony Eden | July 27, 1954

British Foreign Office Statement on Iran Oil Consortium | August 5, 1954

Joint Statement by Iranian and United Kingdom Delegations | August 5, 1954


British House of Commons

Persian Oil Nationalisation (British Recognition) | November 25, 1953

Anglo-Persian Diplomatic Relations (Resumption) | December 7, 1953

Persian Oil Agreement | November 1, 1954


Conservative Party Manifesto

1955 British General Election (excerpt)

“On taking office we faced difficult and dangerous situations in Persia and Egypt. Today there are agreements with both these countries. That with Egypt has enabled us to redeploy our forces. That with Persia has meant that oil is flowing from Abadan once again. Our prestige throughout this area has been restored. Thus we have a better chance to continue helping the countries of the Middle East in their plans both for defence and for economic development, and also to work for a reconciliation between the Arab States and Israel.”




Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

The Current Outlook In Iran | August 26, 1953

Immediate Prospects In Iran | August 27, 1953

Immediate Prospects In Iran (State Dept. Review Completed) | Aug. 27, 1953

The Situation In Iran | September 1953

Causes and Circumstances of Mossadeq’s Downfall | October 5, 1953

The Co-op Position in a Possible Oil Settlement | October 13, 1953

Probable Developments in Iran through 1954 | November 10, 1953

Tudeh Party Reaction To Nixon Visit and Resumption of Iranian-British Relations | December 15, 1953

Iranian Oil Production | December 30, 1953

Iran [Undated Memo Four Months After 1953 Coup] | Dec. 1953-Jan. 1954

Consequences In Iran of a Failure to Achieve an Early Settlement | March 29, 1954

United States Policy Toward Iran | April 14, 1954

Iranian Reactions To Oil Consortium Proposals | April 28, 1954

Status of Iranian Oil Negotiations | June 18, 1954

Status of Iranian Oil Negotiations | June 25, 1954

Status of Iranian Oil Negotiations | July 2, 1954

CIA Propaganda and Psy-Ops in Iran To Help Zahedi Survive | July 8, 1954

Status of Iranian Oil Negotiations | July 9, 1954

Status of Iranian Oil Negotiations | July 23, 1954

Status of Iranian Oil Negotiations | July 30, 1954

Conclusion of Iranian Oil Negotiations | August 6, 1954

Economic Situation | August 18, 1954

Progress Report on NSC 5402 (Iran) | October 13, 1954

Probable Developments In Iran Through 1955 | December 7, 1954


National Security Council (NSC)

Immediate Prospects In Iran | August 27, 1953

The Situation In Iran | December 28, 1953

The Situation In Iran | December 30, 1953

Status of Iranian Oil Negotiations | May 25, 1954

Impending Political Crisis In Iran | June 15, 1954


U.S. Congress

Iran and Oil Imports | U.S. Congress, August 13, 1954


U.S. State Department

June 25, 1953
Prior to Coup, U.S. Seeks Understanding With British on Oil

September 18, 1953
Army Morale: Loy Henderson Counsels Iran’s Shah After Coup

September 23, 1953
Dulles to Henderson on Strategy For Marketing Iranian Oil

September 29, 1953
U.S. Considers 2-Year World Bank Takeover of Iranian Oil

October 29, 1953
Amb. Henderson and Hoover’s Dinner With Zahedi, Entezam

November 2, 1953
Abdollah Entezam Outlines Iran’s Position on Oil

November 5, 1953
Winthrop W. Aldrich on Meeting With British Re: Iran Oil

December 8, 1953
State Dept. Legal Adviser Herman Phleger on Iran Oil Talks

February 8, 1954
American Policy in the Middle East During 1953

February 16, 1954
Livingston T. Merchant to Sec. Dulles on AIOC Percentage

April 13, 1954
Loy Henderson Assures the Shah of British Sincerity

May 15, 1954
John D. Jernegan on Iranian Oil Consortium Talks

May 17, 1954
Loy Henderson on Iran Oil Consortium Details

August 3, 1954
Sec. Dulles’ Message to Eisenhower Re: Iran Oil Deal

August 5, 1954
John Foster Dulles Heralds “A New Era For Iran”

Statement by Amb. Loy Henderson on Iran Oil Deal

Sec. of State Dulles Congratulates Entezam, Zahedi

Text of Aide-Mémoire, Joint British-Iranian Statement

Sec. Dulles and Anthony Eden’s Messages on Iran Oil Deal

October 28, 1954
U.S. Says Oil Deal Is A “Significant Victory” For Iran

Iranian Oil Agreement | State Dept. Press Release

November 22, 1954
FOA Announces Program of Aid to Iran

December 7, 1954
Arrangements for Participation in Iranian Oil Consortium


The White House

Eisenhower Commends Loy Henderson On Iran Oil Deal | August 4, 1954

Eisenhower Praises Herbert Hoover, Jr. For Oil Settlement | August 4, 1954

Eisenhower and Shah Trade Compliments After Iran Oil Deal | August 5, 1954

President Dwight D. Eisenhower Press Conference | August 11, 1954




Iranian Government

Joint Statement by Howard Page and Ali Amini | August 5, 1954

Joint Statement by Iranian and United Kingdom Delegations | August 5, 1954

The Shah of Iran’s Reply To Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower | August 5, 1954

Ali Amini’s Statement on the Iran Oil Consortium Deal | August 5, 1954

Anthony Eden, Abdollah Entezam’s Messages on Iran Oil Deal | Aug. 5, 1954

The Shah and Winston Churchill Hail Anglo-Persian Friendship | Aug. 7, 1954

Foreign Minister Abdollah Entezam to John Foster Dulles | August 9, 1954






Glossary of Names

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Winthrop W. Aldrich (Ambassador to the United Kingdom)
Herbert Brownell, Jr. (Attorney General)
William Walton Butterworth (U.S. diplomat)
Henry Byroade (Assistant Sec. of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs)
Charles Pearre Cabell (Deputy Director, CIA)
Robert Cutler (Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs)
John Foster Dulles (Secretary of State)
Dwight D. Eisenhower (U.S. President)
Loy Henderson (U.S. Ambassador to Iran)
Herbert Hoover, Jr. (Special Envoy, Under Secretary of State)
John D. Jernegan (Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs)
Donald D. Kennedy (Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs)
Livingston T. Merchant (Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs)
Robert Daniel Murphy (Deputy Under Secretary of State)
Herman Phleger (State Dept. Legal Advisor)
Huntington D. Sheldon (CIA)
Charles Erwin Wilson (U.S. Secretary of Defense)

BRITISH GOVERNMENT
Richard Austen Butler (Chancellor of the Exchequer)
Sir Harold Caccia (UK diplomat)
Winston Churchill (Prime Minister)
Pierson Dixon (Deputy Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs)
Anthony Eden (Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs)
Christopher Gandy (UK diplomat)
John Redcliffe-Maud (UK diplomat)
Edward Wilder Playfair (British Treasury official)
Evelyn Shuckburgh (UK diplomat)
Roger Stevens (Ambassador to Iran)
Denis Wright (Charge d’Affaires)

IRANIAN GOVERNMENT
Hossein Ala (Minister of Court)
Ali Amini (Minister of Finance)
Abdollah Entezam (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Shah of Iran)
Fazlollah Zahedi (Prime Minister)

ANGLO-IRANIAN OIL COMPANY (BP)
Peter Thomas Cox (Chief Geologist)
William Fraser (Chairman)
Neville Gass
Elihu Lauterpacht (AIOC Legal Team)
Leonard Rice
Hartley Shawcross (AIOC Legal Team)
Harold Snow

DUTCH OIL COMPANIES
L. E. J. Brouwer

FRENCH OIL COMPANIES
Frédéric Berbigier (CFP)

U.S. OIL COMPANIES
Gwin Follis (Standard Oil of California)
Orville Harden (Standard Oil of New Jersey)
Brewster Jennings (Socony)
John Loudon (Shell)
Howard Page (Standard Oil of New Jersey)
Torkild Rieber (former Texaco chairman)






Newspaper Editorials

No Room For Haggling | September 2, 1953

New Hope In Persia | September 10, 1953

Progress In Iran | October 11, 1953

Persia Looks To The West | November 3, 1953

U.S. Consultant Provides New Hope In Iran Oil Dispute | November 4, 1953

Britain, New Iranian Regime Closer to Oil Settlement | November 25, 1953

Realism In Persia | December 7, 1953

Politics And Oil In Persia | December 7, 1953

Britain And Persia | December 8, 1953

Hopeful Developments In Trouble Spots | December 10, 1953

Seeking Agreement On Oil | December 22, 1953

Iran Back in Business | February 2, 1954

Persian Oil | February 11, 1954

Iranian Oil | March 24, 1954

Iran’s Nose | April 20, 1954

New Chance For Iran | April 26, 1954

Iranian Oil: Three Little Words | July 6, 1954

Oil To Flow Again | July 20, 1954

Persian Oil | July 21, 1954

Persia’s Lesson | July 21, 1954

Hopeful Signs In Two Danger Areas | July 21, 1954

Iran Looks Ahead | July 26, 1954

Iranian Oil Deal a New Victory for Free World | August 6, 1954

Iran Faces the Future | August 6, 1954

American Diplomacy Guided The Happy Solution In Iran | August 6, 1954

Iran Makes A Point For The Ways Of The West | August 6, 1954

The Iranian Accord | August 6, 1954

Iran Makes A Point For The Ways Of The West | August 6, 1954

Agreement on Iranian Oil Is Welcome to U.S. Taxpayers | August 6, 1954

Steal or Settlement? | August 6, 1954

Iran Oil Dispute Ends | August 9, 1954

Persia Gets New Start | August 9, 1954

A Step Ahead in Iran | August 9, 1954

Fingers Crossed | August 11, 1954

Agreement In Iran | August 11, 1954

Important Settlement | August 12, 1954

The Persian Oil Agreement | August 19, 1954

Fair Oil Settlement Essential to Iran’s Stability | August 24, 1954

Iran Should Help Herself by Ending Oil Dispute | September 3, 1954

Costly Stubbornness | September 12, 1954

Iran Sees Reason | October 5, 1954

Oil From Iran | October 29, 1954

U.S. Will Be One Beneficiary of Iran’s Oil Renaissance | November 1, 1954

Oil From Persia | November 1, 1954

Price of ‘Gas’ Involved | November 2, 1954

A Tanker Loads At Abadan | November 2, 1954

Oil Peace in Iran | November 8, 1954

Iran Oil Flows Again | November 16, 1954

West’s Iran Problem Has Been Cleared Up | February 20, 1956





Other U.S. Media

Dulles Hails New Iran-British Oil Pact As Triumph | August 5, 1954

British Press Reactions To 1954 Iran Oil Consortium | August 9, 1954

Proud Brit Hails Iran Oil Deal As English Victory | August 16, 1954

Zahedi Wants Foreign Experts To Run Oil Wells (AP) | Sept. 29, 1953

Oil Pact Insults Iran, Mossadegh Says in Jail (AP) | September 9, 1954



British Media

British Press Reactions To 1954 Iran Oil Consortium | August 9, 1954

A Happy Event | The Spectator, August 12, 1954

The Road to Abadan | The Spectator, August 15, 1954

Persian Oil Flows Again | The Spectator, November 5, 1954


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