Operation Ajax (1953): The CIA’s Template—And Warnings For Today

Operation Ajax (1953): The CIA’s Template—And Warnings For Today

By Joshua Mawhorter, Mises Wire | March 05, 2026 In light of the US’s actions against Iran and the overt goal of regime change, it is worth recalling the original, covert regime change the CIA brought about in Iran and its decades-long consequences. The 1953 Iran coup is widely recognized as the first major covert regime-change operation carried out by the CIA and served as a template for future interventions. It set key precedents in technique—…