The Question At Issue
November 25, 1953 — The Advocate
November 25, 1953 — The Advocate
| The Mossadegh Project | February 19, 2021 |
Lead editorial on Iran in The Advocate newspaper serving Northwestern and Western Tasmania, Australia.
• Australian media archive on Iran
• Iran Oil Consortium | Archive of Documents (1953-1954)
PERSIA SEES THE LIGHT
ONE of the most cheering items of news for some time from the enigmatic Middle East is the broadcast by the new Persian Premier regarding the Abadan oil question. [Fazlollah Zahedi] It would appear that Persia is ready to resume negotiations with Britain over the resumption of the mammoth refinery owned by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. That Britain will willingly concur Mr. Eden has made clear to General Zahedi. [Anthony Eden, British Foreign Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister]The forthright denunciation of the Mossadeq regime is fully justified, but unexpected. It can only mean one thing — a turning back on the foolish and, in fact, economically disastrous line assumed by the deposed Premier, who is now on trial for his life. Mossadeq, we are told, deprived Persia of £30 million in revenues, and failed to sell oil — which he had given the assurance that he would do. As a result the great works are not only idle, but deteriorating — “a complete wreck,” in the words of Zahedi.
It must follow from this denunciation and exposure that some agreement with Britain is certain to evolve, and it may be expected that the British Government and the Anglo-Iranian people will do their best to make friends with the new regime at Teheran.
The question at issue is one of great significance. It is not merely the loss of the revenue involved, though that is serious for the British economy, but the danger that with the disruption of the Persian economy, as exposed by the new Premier, the country may be a prey to the extremist party, the tool of the designing Soviet.
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Related links:
Dictators Not Happy | The Advocate, January 18, 1954
TOPICS OF THE DAY | The Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Australia)
Oil From Persia | The Mercury (Australia), November 1, 1954
MOSSADEGH t-shirts — “If I sit silently, I have sinned”
