Planning and Implementation of Operation TPAJAX, March–August 1953


169. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Dulles to President Eisenhower

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Intelligence, Job 80R01731R, Box 9, Folder 350, White House. Secret; Security Information. A shorter version of this memorandum is printed with redactions in Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. X, Iran, 1951–1954, pp. 689–691 (Document 310).


170. Memorandum Prepared in the Directorate of Plans, Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80R01443R, Box 1, Folder 7. Secret; Security Information. A handwritten note on a sheet of paper attached to the memorandum indicates that it was prepared for the March 5 NSC meeting, but was not used. Another copy of the memorandum indicates that it was prepared in the Iran Branch of the Directorate of Plans. (Ibid., DDO Files, Job 80–01701R, Box 3, Folder 12, Misc. Correspondence TPAJAX)


171. Memorandum of Discussion at the 135th Meeting of the National Security Council

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Series, Box 4, 135th Meeting of the National Security Council. Top Secret; Security Information; Eyes Only. Drafted by Gleason on March 5. Printed with redactions in Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. X, Iran, 1951–1954, pp. 692–701 (Document 312).


173. Telegram From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1950–1954, 788.00/3–853. Top Secret; Security Information. Repeated to London. Received at 8:09 a.m.


174. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Byroade) to Secretary of State Dulles

Source: National Archives, RG 59, GTI Files, Lot 57 D 529, Box 40, NSC 1951–1954. Top Secret; Security Information. Drafted by Stutesman. Printed from an uninitialed copy.


175. Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80R01443R, Box 1, Folder 8, NSC Briefing 11 Mar 53. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified]. Presumably prepared for the March 11 NSC meeting but there is no indication that it was circulated to the NSC.


176. Memorandum of Discussion at the 136th Meeting of the National Security Council

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Series, Box 4, 136th Meeting of the National Security Council. Top Secret; Security Information; Eyes Only. Drafted by Gleason. Printed with redactions in Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. X, Iran, 1951–1954, pp. 711–714 (Document 318).


177. Memorandum Prepared in the Office of National Estimates, Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 79T00937A, Box 2, Folder 2, Staff Memoranda—1953 (Substantive). Top Secret; Security Information.


178. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80–00810A, Box 7, Folder 7, CS Information Reports 5020–5029. Secret; Security Information; Control—U.S. Officials Only.


179. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDO Files, Job 79–01228A, Box 11, Folder 14, Iran 1951–1953. Confidential. A handwritten note on the memorandum indicates that it was seen by Wisner. No other record of this meeting has been found.


180. Progress Report to the National Security Council

Source: National Archives, RG 273, Records of the National Security Council, Policy Papers, Box 210, NSC 136 US Pol re Iran. Top Secret.


181. Memorandum Prepared in the Office of Intelligence and Research, Department of State

Source: British National Archives, General Correspondence of the Foreign Office, FO 371/104565. Secret; Security Information. The memorandum is attached to a covering sheet in which A.K. Rothnie of the British Foreign Office, indicated that Joseph Palmer of the U.S. Embassy in London had given the assessment to the Foreign Office on May 1. Rothnie also commented that “neither we nor the Americans see any hope in Kashani as a successor to Mussaddiq, nor, a fortiori, do we see any sense in assisting him to power.”


182. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80–00810A, Box 9, Folder 5, CS Information Reports 6360–6369. Secret; Security Information; Control—U.S. Officials Only.


183. Memorandum From the Acting Director of the Psychological Strategy Board (Morgan) to Director of Central Intelligence Dulles

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Intelligence, Job 80R01731R, Box 33, Folder 1095, DCI/PSB. Confidential; Security Information.


184. Memorandum From the Chief of the Near East and Africa Division, Directorate of Plans (Roosevelt) to the Director of Central Intelligence (Dulles)

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDO Files, Job 79–01228A, Box 29, Folder 1, Outlines and Renewals of Projects. Secret; Eyes Only. Wisner recommended approval and Dulles approved.


185. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80–00810A, Box 9, Folder 39, CS Information Reports 6700–6709. Secret; Security Information.


186. Monthly Report Prepared in the Directorate of Plans, Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDO–IMS Files, Job 81–01061R, Box 1, Folder 3, Monthly Report—March 1953—Country Summaries and Analyses. Top Secret.


187. Memorandum Prepared in the Embassy in the United Kingdom

Source: British National Archives, General Correspondence of the Foreign Office, FO 371/4564. Top Secret. According to a covering memorandum by A.K. Rothnie of the British Foreign Office, this memorandum is a paraphrase of a telegram from Henderson, which was handed to the British by Houghton of the U.S. Embassy in London.


188. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80–00810A, Box 9, Folder 65, CS Information Reports 6960–6969. Secret; Security Information; Control—U.S. Officials Only.


189. Telegram From the Station in Iran to the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency. Secret. This telegram was transcribed from microfilm in the Central Intelligence Agency specifically for Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, volume X, Iran, 1951–1954, although it was not released in that volume. The original telegram and its microfilm copy no longer exist. This is the case for all subsequent telegrams in this volume that are identified as having been transcribed for the Foreign Relations series. Please see the “Sources” chapter for more details.


190. Telegram From the Station in Iran to the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDO Files, Job 89–00176R, Box 1, Folder 18, Political Activities—Iran (Serial 440–579). Secret; Security Information. CS–7982, April 21, disseminated the information in this telegram. (Ibid., DDI Files, Job 8000810A, Box 10, Folder 69, CS Information Reports 7980–7989)


191. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80–00810A, Box 10, Folder 4, CS Information Reports 7700–7709. Secret; Security Information; Control—U.S. Officials Only.


192. Memorandum From the Chief of the Iran Branch, Near East and Africa Division (Waller) to the Chief of the Near East and Africa Division, Directorate of Plans, Central Intelligence Agency (Roosevelt)

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDO Files, Job 80–01701R, Box 3, Folder 7, TPAJAX Vol. I. Top Secret; Security Information. Also distributed to the Chiefs of the Political Propaganda and Foreign Intelligence Divisions in NEA.


193. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80S01540R, Box 10, Folder 100, CSDB Intell Reports TS–88046 3966. Top Secret; Security Information; Control—U.S. Officials Only.


194. Briefing Notes Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency for Director of Central Intelligence Dulles

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80R01443R, Box 1, Folder 14, NSC Briefing 22 Apr 53. Secret; Security Information. Prepared for DCI Dulles for his briefing of the NSC on April 22. The official minutes of the April 22 NSC meeting record that DCI Dulles gave an oral briefing on Iran and that the NSC noted the March 20 Progress Report on NSC 136/1 and directed that “all outstanding copies of this Progress Report be recalled by the Executive Secretary.” (National Archives, RG 273, Records of the National Security Council, Official Minutes 1947–1961, Box 26, 140th Meeting) The Progress Report is Document 180. The memorandum of discussion at the NSC meeting of April 22, drafted by Gleason, notes that “Mr. Dulles spoke briefly about the situation in Iran. He noted a further decline in both the prestige of the Shah and the power of Mossadegh. He described the situation as one of perpetual crisis, but predicted no dramatic turn of events within the next several weeks.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Series, Box 4, 140th Meeting of the National Security Council)


195. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80–00810A, Box 11, Folder 27, CS Information Reports 8550–8559. Secret; Security Information; Control—U.S. Officials Only.


196. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80–00810A, Box 11, Folder 36, CS Information Reports 8640-8649. Secret; Security Information; Control—U.S. Officials Only.


197. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80–00810A, Box 11, Folder 53, CS Information Reports 8810–8819. Secret; Security Information; Control—U.S. Officials Only.


198. Telegram From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1950–1954, 788.00/4–3053. Secret. Received at 9:50 a.m.