Iran and the U.S., Part One

Throughline

NPR

Society & Culture, History, Documentary

4.7 • 15K Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The U.S. and Iran have had a tense relationship for decades — but when did that begin? This week, we feature our very first episode about an event from August 1953 — when the CIA helped to overthrow Iran's prime minister.

This episode originally ran as Four Days in August.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This message is brought to you by the Medal of Honor podcast. U.S. Army veteran J.R. Martinez
0:05.6	tells the story of Medal of Honor recipients who have gone beyond the call of duty in the face of
0:11.3	impossible odds. Listen to Medal of Honor wherever you get podcasts.
0:17.3	Hey, it's run. We're all watching the current conflict between the United States and Iran,
0:22.6	and it got us thinking about the origins of the incredibly complex relationship between these two countries.
0:29.6	Today we're bringing you the very first episode of ThruLine, the story of how the U.S. overthrew
0:35.6	Iran's democratically elected prime minister back in 1953.
0:41.0	It first ran in 2019, but it's just as relevant today as it was then.
0:51.5	August 15, 1953.
1:02.0	Shortly before midnight in Tehran, Iran's capital city, the air was thick with anticipation. Something big was about to happen.
1:04.0	The elected Prime Minister of Iran, Muhammad Mosaddell, was sitting at home, waiting.
1:10.0	He knew something was coming.
1:11.6	And he had no idea if he'd still be prime minister by morning.
1:14.6	So with each tick, tick, tick of the clock,
1:19.6	he knew that the future of Iran was at stake.
1:22.6	One truckload of Presidential Guard soldiers were going to Mossadegh's house at midnight.
1:28.4	Their mission was simple.
1:29.6	Go to Mossadegh's house in the middle of the night.
1:31.6	Knock on the door.
1:32.4	Tell him he's fired.
1:33.4	Mossadegh would then protest undoubtedly and say, you can't fire me. I'm elected.
1:37.1	And at that point, you would arrest him.
	...

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