Anglo-American relations and cold war oil: crisis in Iran

This major new book provides new insights into the special relationship and the Anglo-Iranian oil crisis. It analyses the interplay of british and American policies at the global, Middles Eastern and Iranian levels and explores the impact on national policy of the oil majors. It also develops conclusions that challenge ideas of postwar US hegmony within the Western Allience and traditional realist and Cold War interpretations of international relations. The book argues too, that the oil crisis encouraged the US to supplant Britain as the senior western power in the Middle East and, in relative terms, to downgrade the special relationship. Also, humiliation in Iran and failure to learn important lessons helped deliver Britain to the Suez Crisis. And US covert operations against Iran's Premier had repercussions that ultimately weakened Cold War detente and made Iran, the implacable enemy of America that President George Bush Jr denounced in 2002 as part of an 'axis of evil'