BY crushing an abortive attempt to overthrow his Government, Dr. Mossadeq has tightened his dictatorial hold on Persia. [How so?]

Ever since he kicked out the British two years ago, Mossadeq has been trying to get rid of the Shah. [Not true.] Now he has succeeded — ironically, with the Shah’s help.

A question puzzling observers is why the Shah delayed his coup for so long. If he had tried it 12 or even six months ago he would have had infinitely more chance of bringing it off. [How so?]

Was the Shah actually seeking an excuse to send himself into temporary exile? His move was half-hearted and badly organised. As already demonstrated in Egypt and Syria, a dictator must have solid Army support. Mossadeq obviously has that backing. [“Obviously”]

In any event, this is another setback in the Middle East for the Western Powers, who can do little either diplomatically or militarily. The Soviet can send in troops if foreign soldiers set foot on Persian soil.

Although Mossadeq professes to be violently anti-Communist, he has tacitly accepted encouragement from the Tudeh (Communist) Party. [How so?] For the West, the gloomy conclusion is that Persia daily is being drawn closer to the Soviet orbit. [How so?]