Iranian Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi threw a press conference shortly after his triumphal return to Tehran. [Mohammad Reza Pahlavi] The most important news he had to offer was that Iran is nearly busted, because of the quaint financial policies of deposed Premier Mossadegh, and is “ready to accept help from anybody.”

We’re strongly opposed to U.S. handouts to small, busted nations as a general thing.

However, here would seem to be an opportunity for the United States to do what it could toward keeping Iran free of Russia, by coming up with a loan offer. We said loan — not handout — because the collateral should be a powerful lien on a lot of Iran’s oil. If we can buy Iranian resistance to Moscow on such terms, why not do it?