Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh was overthrown in a coup orchestrated by the US CIA (Operation Ajax) and British MI6 (Operation Boot), following his nationalization of Iran's oil industry.
Fun Facts
The first coup attempt on August 15 failed, and the Shah fled to Baghdad then Rome. Four days later, the coup succeeded. The CIA acknowledged its role decades later. Mossadegh was tried and imprisoned, spending the rest of his life in exile in Ahmadabad.
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The Royal Road was a 2,699 km paved highway connecting Susa (administrative capital) to Sardis (Lydia). With 111 relay stations where couriers changed horses, messages traveled at astonishing speed across the empire.
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After capturing Persepolis, Alexander allowed looting of the treasuries. Reportedly 10,000 mules and 5,000 camels were needed to carry the gold and silver. Then the palaces burned—some say at the urging of Thais the Athenian, others call it revenge for the Acropolis burning.
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