logo
episode-header-image
Jun 24
36m 25s

Iran and the U.S., Part One: Four Days i...

NPR
About this episode
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.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Aug 21
The Queen of Tupperware
Who ushered housewives into the workforce and plastic storage containers into America’s kitchens? Today on the show, the rise and fall of Brownie Wise, the woman behind Tupperware's plastic empire — and a revolution in women’s work.Guests:Alison Clarke, author of Tupperware, the ... Show More
49m 11s
Aug 14
We the People: Succession of Power
The 25th amendment. A few years before JFK was shot, an idealistic young lawyer set out on a mission to convince people something essential was missing from the Constitution: clear instructions for what should happen if a U.S. president was no longer able to serve. On this episod ... Show More
47m 31s
Aug 7
We the People: Cruel and Unusual Punishment
The Eighth Amendment. What is cruel and unusual punishment? Who gets to define and decide its boundaries? And how did the Constitution's authors imagine it might change? Today on Throughline's We the People: the Eighth Amendment, the death penalty, and what cruel and unusual real ... Show More
47m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 22
Iran Pt. 1: A Socialist Introduction w/ Séamus Malekafzali [BONUS]
As seems to be the case with most of the countries that the United States goes to war with—much of the population here doesn’t know very much about those countries. And what they do know is usually Western propaganda, misinformation, or outright lies. This couldn’t be more true w ... Show More
1h 45m
Aug 4
How The 1979 Revolution Transformed Iran
For decades, Iran has been an adversary of the United States. Scott Anderson examines the Iranian revolution of 1979, the upheaval that deposed the reigning monarch and transformed the country from a U.S. ally to an Islamic Republic. He says blunders by American policymakers play ... Show More
44m 41s
Nov 2024
1. The First CIA Coup: Oil, Iran, and MI6 (Ep 1)
Welcome... to the first episode of The Rest Is Classified! It's Iran 1951. Mohammad Mossadegh, fuelled by an ever-growing nationalism, has just been elected Prime Minister. Immediately he chooses to nationalise the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, much to the anger of the British who c ... Show More
44m 25s
Jun 18
What’s Iran’s IRGC?
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Quds force and the Basij militias are back in the news due to the conflict between Israel and Iran. What are they, how do they operate and how have they become so influential? In this episode, we look at the origins, the branding and the ... Show More
26m 21s
Jun 23
America First (unless Iran...)
Vox's Josh Keating and author Vali Nasr explain what bombing Iran won’t accomplish. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Laura Bullard and Denise Guerra, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd ... Show More
27m 44s
Nov 2024
Operation Ajax: The CIA’s Secret War in Iran
In 1953, Kermit Roosevelt, grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, has unlimited job prospects. But instead of picking a cushy desk job or following his Nobel Peace Prize-winning grandfather's footsteps, he joins the CIA and heads to Tehran where he launches the controversial O ... Show More
45m 3s
Jun 2021
The Iranian Election: A Debrief
The June 18th presidential election will bring significant changes for Iran and its relations with the West. With a hardliner taking power in August, questions remain: Will Ebrahim Raisi change Iran’s foreign and domestic policies? What will be the prospects for continued engagem ... Show More
1h 2m
Nov 2024
What's Next for Iran? ClubGPF Bonus with Kamran Bokhari
Israel’s decimation of Hezbollah’s leadership and war-making capabilities has paved the way for a massive altering of the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. After decades on the offensive, Iran has suffered a major setback in its strategy for the region. GPF contributor K ... Show More
8m 2s
Nov 2024
2. The First CIA Coup: Turmoil in Tehran (Ep 2)
The first coup attempt has failed. The Shah has fled to Baghdad. The CIA have told Kermit he can leave if he's in a jam, but he chooses not to. He wants to finish the job. The streets of Tehran are chaos; protesters against the Shah are out in their thousands and things are getti ... Show More
33 m