The oil crisis in Iran has dragged on even longer than the cease-fire talks in Korea, and the prospects for agreement do not look better. Impoverished Iran, promised untold wealth four months ago when Mossadegh put through his oil nationalization bill, finds that she has deprived herself of an important source of national revenue.

Opposition to Mossadegh, who has been unable as prime minister to fulfill the promises he made as a member of the Majlis, is rising. The Majlis is not ready, apparently to vote him out of office. But members have slaved away to keep from endorsing his proposed ultimatum to Britain.

The British are getting tough, too—in a socialist sort of way—figuring that is the best way to force Mossadegh’s fall as prime minister. They have cut off Iran’s dollar supplies, stopped or controlled her sterling transactions, frozen her $39,200,000 bank balance in London, and halted the sale to Iran of such scarce goods as sugar, iron, steel and alloys.

They don’t take seriously Iran’s threat to sell oil to the iron curtain countries. But Mossadegh is bypassing the Majlis to send his ultimatum, threatening to expel British technicians from Abadan unless Britain comes to terms.

In other times Iran would have been too weak to try such tactics on Britain. But in the present state of world affairs Britain, hamstrung by a socialist government, is helpless. Mossadegh, however, is staking too much on his gamble that the West must yield because it needs Iranian oil for security against Russia.

The Majlis is having misgivings. Despite assassination threats by the frenzied National Front, it is estimated that at least 20 percent would now vote against Mossadegh on a vote of confidence.