Oil history permeates Iran nuclear deal

http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MID-01-160614.html



Oil history permeates Iran nuclear deal
By Akbar E Torbat
Jun 16, '14

Iran has had two major disputes with the West that have involved the scrutiny of international legal organizations: oil nationalization in early 1950s and the nuclear program controversy over the past two decades. In both cases, Iran was put under economic sanctions while pursuing its national interests.

The oil case

In 1951, prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh nationalized Iran's oil to end the British-owned Anglo-Iranian Oil Company's monopoly in Iran. To support oil nationalization, Mosaddegh formed a coalition of political groups under the name of National Front (Jebh-e Melli). The British government complained against nationalization on behalf of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, bringing Iran's case to the International Court of Justice at The Hague and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Despite the sanctions imposed on Iran, Mosaddegh stayed firm against the British to defend Iran's right to nationalize its oil. In June 1952, Mosaddegh succeeded in winning a ruling from the court in favor of Iran.

Mosaddegh relied mainly on educated and intellectual Iranians to challenge the British oil monopoly in Iran. However, he was betrayed by a top cleric at the time, Ayatollah Abul-Qassem Kashani, who had initially allied with him. Kashani mobilized the mobs, mullahs, and royalists to provide support for a coup which brought Mosaddegh down. [1] The US joined Britain in a bloody military coup in August 1953 that overthrew Mosaddegh.

~snip~

The nukes

Iran's nuclear program has now created a situation similar to the oil nationalization in early 1950s. Iran has to defend its nuclear rights versus intervention from another major power.