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Kermit Roosevelt Jr.
CIA Officer; Architect of 1953 Iranian Coup (Operation Ajax)
CIA field operative who orchestrated the 1953 overthrow of Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh
Overview
Kermit "Kim" Roosevelt Jr. was a CIA officer and the grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt who served as the lead field operative for Operation Ajax (known in the UK as Operation Boot); the 1953 CIA-MI6 coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. Mosaddegh had nationalized Iran's oil industry; threatening the profits of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later BP). Roosevelt entered Iran covertly and orchestrated a campaign of bribery; propaganda; and hired provocateurs that created chaos in Tehran; ultimately leading to Mosaddegh's arrest and the restoration of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's authoritarian rule. The coup was considered a "success" by the CIA and became a template for future regime-change operations in Guatemala (1954); Congo (1961); and Chile (1973). However; the long-term consequences were catastrophic; the Shah's autocratic rule and his SAVAK secret police fueled the 1979 Islamic Revolution; the Iran hostage crisis; and decades of U.S.-Iran hostility that continue to shape Middle Eastern geopolitics. The CIA did not officially acknowledge its role in the coup until 2013; when declassified documents confirmed the operation. Roosevelt left the CIA in 1958 and became a lobbyist for Gulf Oil and other companies with Middle Eastern interests.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Orchestrated Operation Ajax; the 1953 CIA-MI6 coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh after he nationalized Iranian oil
Campaign included bribery of Iranian military officers; hiring mobs to create street violence; planting anti-Mosaddegh propaganda in Iranian newspapers; and coordinating with the Shah's loyalists
Coup restored Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to power; his 26 years of authoritarian rule and SAVAK secret police repression directly led to the 1979 Islamic Revolution and decades of U.S.-Iran hostility
Operation Ajax became the CIA's template for regime-change operations worldwide; including Guatemala (1954); Congo (1961); and Chile (1973)
After leaving the CIA; became a lobbyist for Gulf Oil and other corporations with Middle Eastern oil interests; raising questions about whether oil company interests drove the original coup
CIA did not officially acknowledge its role in the coup until 2013; 60 years after the operation
Related Investigations (2)
Known Associates & Connections
Allen Dulles
CIA Director who authorized Operation Ajax
Sources & Documentation
3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Personal Information
- Born
- February 16, 1916
- Birthplace
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Also Known As
- Kim Roosevelt
Education
- •Harvard University; B.A. History 1938
Key Timeline
February 16, 1916
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina; grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt
1941
Joins the Office of Strategic Services (OSS; predecessor to CIA)
1950
Becomes head of CIA's Near East and Africa division
June 1953
Enters Iran covertly to lead Operation Ajax
August 15-19, 1953
Orchestrates coup against Mosaddegh through bribery; propaganda; and hired mobs; Shah restored to power
1954
Awarded National Security Medal by President Eisenhower for Operation Ajax
1958
Leaves CIA; becomes consultant and lobbyist for Gulf Oil and other Middle Eastern oil interests
1979
Iranian Revolution overthrows the Shah; roots traced directly to the 1953 coup
June 8, 2000
Dies in Cockeysville, Maryland
2013
CIA officially acknowledges its role in the 1953 coup through declassified documents