He made this statement during a parliamentary session, one day after the 70th anniversary of the 1953 coup in Iran. This event, known as the 28 Mordad coup d’état, was orchestrated by the CIA and MI6 under the code name “TPAJAX Project” or “Operation Ajax.”
Qalibaf stated that it is the determination of the Iranian people that has thwarted the plans of their enemies and praised the country’s armed forces, including the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and the Army, for their role in frustrating their foes with the support of Iran’s heroic citizens.
He went on to say that the anniversary of the 1953 coup serves as a reminder of a dark time when foreign politicians and their security agencies overruled the will of Iran’s resolute population and its officials.
Qalibaf also pointed out that anti-American sentiment and actions around the world are a direct consequence of the US government’s criminal behavior towards oppressed nations.
During the coup, Iran’s then-Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, who was popular for nationalizing Iran’s oil industry and reclaiming it from British control, was overthrown and arrested. The pro-Western monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was restored to power, where he remained until the triumph of the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Imam Khomeini.