Norman Darbyshire
Norman Darbyshire was the British MI6 operative who led the 1953 coup d'état that overthrew Mohammed Mossadegh, the democratically elected prime minister of Iran. Credit and blame for the coup has long been attributed solely to the United States CIA, while the dominant role of Darbyshire and MI6 has been hidden. Among other things, he participated in the assassination of Mossadegh's chief of police,[1] and bribed the twin sister of Shah Reza Pahlavi to play a key role in the coup and to eventually become a power behind his resulting dictatorship.[2]
Darbyshire died in 1993.
In the 2019 documentary Coup 53 by the Iranian film-maker Taghi Amirani about the 1953 Iranian coup d'état - in USA, the coup was known as Operation Ajax, while in Britain it was Operation Boot - actor Ralph Fiennes plays the part of Darbyshire.[3]
References
- Hornaday, Ann (18 August 2020). "Movie Review: Documentary illuminates the secret history of the 1953 Iranian coup". Washington Post.
- Gambrell, Jon (14 January 2016). "Obituary: Princess Ashraf of Iran: The Shah of Iran's twin sister who was regarded as the power behind the throne and faced corruption allegations". Independent.
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/02/mi6-the-coup-in-iran-that-changed-the-middle-east-and-the-cover-up