Mohammad Mosaddegh

Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh

Mohammad Mosaddegh or Mosaddeq (Persian: محمد مصدق‎, IPA: [mohæmˈmæd(-e) mosædˈdeɣ] ), also spelled Mossadegh, Mossadeq, Mosadeck, or Musaddiq, (16 June 1882 – 5 March 1967) was the Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953 until being overthrown in a coup d'état.

Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh Biography

Online biography from the website of The Mossadegh Project (Attributions are made without citation.)

• The moral aspect of oil nationalization is more important than its economic aspect.

• There is no political or moral yardstick by which the court can measure its judgment in the case of nationalization of the oil industry in Iran [...] under no condition we will accept the jurisdiction of the court on the subject. We cannot put ourselves in the dangerous situation which might arise out of the court's decision.
  • Refusing to allow the International Court in the Hague to rule on his nationalisation of oil interests

• Yes, my sin — my greater sin and even my greatest sin is that I nationalized Iran's oil industry and discarded the system of political and economic exploitation by the world's greatest empire. This at the cost to myself, my family; and at the risk of losing my life, my honor and my property. With God's blessing and the will of the people, I fought this savage and dreadful system of international espionage and colonialism.
  • Defending himself against a treason charge, on 19 December, 1953