The Shah Lands In Rome
“Matter of Utmost Sensitivity”, Cries CIA
Arash Norouzi The Mossadegh Project | August 18, 2024 |

August 18, 1953: Following his hasty departure from Tehran to Iraq, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his wife seek asylum in Rome, Italy.
Two days earlier, the U.S. and British-backed plot to remove Premier Mossadegh via royal decree backfired, and the Shah, against U.S. wishes, ‘flew the coup’.
Now the U.S. State Department and Central Intelligence Agency were scrambling to choreograph the Shah’s next moves, including drafting his public statements for him. The next day, the coup succeeded, and the royal couple hung loose for a couple more days before returning to Iran on August 22nd.
277. Telegram From the Central Intelligence Agency [text not declassified]
Washington, August 18, 1953.
DIR 16225. 1. The following represents instructions from State with which we concur.
2. [less than 1 line not declassified] officer should take up directly and personally with [the] Ambassador the subject matter of this message. [Clare Booth Luce, U.S. Ambassador to Italy]
3. [The] Ambassador should know that DCI [Allen Dulles] requests her to determine [the] soonest the securest and least ostentatious means of establishing contact with [the] Shah now in Rome, for [the] purpose of urging him to issue [a] clear and definitive public statement explaining his actions and reasons along lines similar [to] his conversation with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Berry, on 16 August. [Burton Berry] [The] Following is [the] specific line we believe [the] Shah should follow in [his] statement:
“In recent weeks Shah had felt increasingly that he would have to take action against Mossadeq as the latter became bolder in flouting the constitution. Therefore he decided to take action within the framework of his constitutional power (hence action taken not in any sense a coup d’état). He decided to appoint Zahedi (Identity C) in place of Mossadeq three days ago he sent letter of appointment to Zahedi to capital city with a trusted emissary. [Fazlollah Zahedi] The letter was delivered to Zahedi which empowered him to take office. When the messenger arrived at Mossadeq’s house to deliver Shah’s communication he was arrested while trying to carry out Shah’s order. [Nematollah Nassiri] Shah took this action dismissing Mossadeq and appointing Zahedi in his place because Mossadeq had continually violated the constitution and because Shah himself had sworn upon ascending the throne to respect and uphold the constitution. Shah had no choice but to remove the head of a government acting unconstitutionally. When it became apparent that Shah’s orders were not being followed he left the country but stands ready to return when he can to serve the people and in the meantime prays for the independence and safety of the country and that all true patriots will never allow their country to fall under the control of the illegal identity D.” Finally Shah might usefully give public expression to his view that Mossadeq thinks that he can form a partnership with Tudeh Party and then outwit it, but in so doing Mossadeq will become the Doctor Benes of the country. [Former Czech Presdent Edvard Beneš]
4. All cables [on] this subject should be sent by Ambassador [less than 1 line not declassified] bearing [the] above indicator. This [is a] matter of utmost sensitivity and should be handled by [less than 1 line not declassified] Ambassador accordingly.
End of message.
• Note: Bracketed text added for better readability. [Annotations by Arash Norouzi]
• Source: Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Iran, 1951–1954 (2017)
• “Source: Central Intelligence Agency. Secret. Repeated to Tehran [text not declassified]. Transcribed specifically for the Foreign Relations series from microfilm in the Central Intelligence Agency that no longer exists. See “Sources” chapter.” — U.S. State Department Office of the Historian
279. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State
Rome, August 18, 1953, 8 p.m.
571. [The] Shah arrived [in] Rome early this afternoon (reference Baghdad’s 97 and Tehran’s 374 to Department). [“not found”] [The] Associated Press has given [the] Embassy [the] following on what it believes [is an] exclusive interview with [the] Shah:
Asked about [the] Iranian Foreign Minister’s [Hossein Fatemi] demand that he abdicate, he said “I am not (repeat not) going to abdicate now”; asked if he had fled, he said “It is not (repeat not) true—I have not (repeat not) fled from my country”; asked if he would return, he said “Probably, but not (repeat not) in [the] immediate future”; [the] Shah added [that] he and [his] Queen had not (repeat not) yet made up their minds, but would not (repeat not) remain in Rome, indicating that they might stay on elsewhere in Italy as this is “nothing else but a vacation”. Asked if he had any comment on Mossadeq’s policy, he said “I cannot answer that now, but I will have a statement regarding that in a few days. You can say, however, that I am watching very carefully every development in my country”.
[The] Foreign Office informed [the] Embassy [that] it was embarrassed by [the] Shah’s presence. [The] First information it had came this morning from [the] Shah’s cable requesting hotel reservations here in Rome; subsequently, information received from [the] Italian Mission [in] Baghdad to [the] effect [a] visa had been issued. [The] Foreign Office pointed out that [the] Shah was still [the] Sovereign as he had neither been deposed nor abdicated. [A] Junior officer [in the] protocol section of [the] Foreign Office met [with the] Shah and took him to [the] hotel.
Would appreciate instructions on [the] manner in which [the] Department desires [the] Embassy deal with [the] Shah.
Luce. [Clare Booth Luce]
• Note: Bracketed text added for better readability. [Annotations by Arash Norouzi]
• Source: Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Iran, 1951–1954 (2017)
• “Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1950–1954, 788.11/8–1853. Confidential; Security Information; Priority. Repeated Priority to Tehran and Baghdad. Received at 6:27 p.m.” — U.S. State Department Office of the Historian
Related links:
CIA Drafts Official U.S. Statement To Follow Overthrow of Mossadegh In Iran
Praise God! Shah’s Decrees Obtained, Operation Ajax Is Ready | CIA, Aug. 14, 1953
The Shah’s Post-Coup Rendezvous With Loy Henderson (Aug. 23, 1953)
MOSSADEGH t-shirts — “If I sit silently, I have sinned”




