logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2019
36m 29s

Four Days in August

NPR
About this episode
It's no secret that Iran and the U.S. have a history of animosity toward each other. But when and how did it begin? This week we look back at four days in August 1953, when the CIA orchestrated a coup of Iran's elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
The lightbulb conspiracy is both real and everywhere
Over the next few episodes, we present Hidden Histories: stories that will make you rethink how the world works. First up, the conspiracy behind the lightbulb—and how it came to shape the entire consumer economy. If you ever wondered why your tech outdates so quickly or just plai ... Show More
31m 49s
Jul 28
The license to be funny in America
One of the most fundamental aspects of American democracy has been the public’s ability to critique power, whether that’s through protest, legislation, or a really funny joke. Today, we take a romp into the history of American comedy, showing no matter how crude, rude, or distast ... Show More
20m 1s
Jul 23
The architect of modern China
From impoverishment to global superpower, China’s supremacy happened at a breakneck speed thanks to the visionary strategy of the man who took power in 1978. Over the next decade, under leader Deng Xiaoping’s firm leadership, China flirted with capitalism and transformed its soci ... Show More
37m 41s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2019
Ghosts of Mossadegh: The Iran Cables, U.S. Empire, and the Arc of History
Iranian-American author and analyst Hooman Majd discusses a century of history marked by intervention and threats from major world powers. Beginning with Britain, Russia, and Germany battling for control of Iran’s oil, Majd and Jeremy Scahill discuss the CIA coup against Mohammed ... Show More
55m 36s
Aug 2023
Iran: How the prime minister was overthrown in 1953
The coup of 1953 changed the course of Iranian history. The USA - with British help - overthrew a nationalist prime minister and installed the Shah in power. In 2010, Alan Johnston heard archive recordings of the CIA officer who played a part and spoke to Hedayat Matine-Daftary, ... Show More
9 m
Nov 2022
The Dig: Iran, 1953-1979. From the Shah to Islamic Revolution
<p>Featuring Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi and Golnar Nikpour on the history of modern Iran. This is the third episode in our four-part series. We pick up in the wake of the US-British 1953 coup against Mossadegh, assess the Shah's repression and attempts to manufacture consent thr ... Show More
2h 24m
Aug 2025
The United States vs. Iran
Fareed Zakaria hosts a detailed special tracing the historical conflict between the United States and Iran, starting with a dramatization of a B-2 bomber strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The narrative revisits the pivotal 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, emphasizing its roots in ... Show More
48m 6s
Mar 2023
America's Coup in Iran | The Nationalist | 1
Iran elects a new prime minister, one promising to reclaim the country’s oil industry. Sensing a threat to Western power, the U.K. and the U.S. launch a secret operation.Want to listen to the remaining episodes of America's Coup in Iran? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ... Show More
42m 55s
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 ... Show More
42m 25s
Jun 2024
‘Why Iran Hates America’
Following the death of Iran’s President Raisi in a helicopter crash, and amidst ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Fareed Zakaria examines Iran's decades-old animosity towards America, tracing it back to the 1979 embassy hostage crisis and U.S. support for Saddam Hussein's inva ... Show More
48m 32s