Seyyed Mostafa Taqavi

 When the oil industry was being nationalized in Iran, it passed more than 50 years of the British inference and presence in Iran. Thoroughout this period, regardless of the known British officers, there were hundreds of secret agents working for the British interests. In Iran, the new currents were threatening the British interests.

When the political relations of the two countries came to a breach, the British legation, being the main cover and support of these agents, lost its efficiency.

Following this event, the French and American embassies played the same role as the British embassy and supported the secret British agents. Moreover, the British spies acted in different ways to prepare the situation for the downfall of the oil movement.

Sometimes, these agents were recognized, and the government would expel them from the country. In March 10^th 1953, Iranian government addressed a letter to Iraq government with this content that news are being received repeatedly from the common border of Iran and Iraq that the British agents cause disorder in the district. Especially after the closure of the British embassy in Tehran, they have concentrated their main activities in Iraq. Recently we have received a reliable report that Jackson, an old British spy who has been active in British embassy in Tehran, has started his intrigues in Iraq against Iran and his contacts with the British agents in Iran is quite known to all.

In March 14^th 1953, Dr. Mossadeq's sposkesman, Dr. Fatemi announced in a press conference that according to the received reports Jackson's son has been seen in Tehran. The Messageur, published in Italy wrote in May 3^rd 1953: "Though the British government due to the rupture of political relations, has no official agent in Iran, it can be seen that Jackson, the ex-member of the British embassy in Baghdad is casting his shadow on oil producing areas of the southern Iran. In this district some uprisings are taking place against the government. Jackson has been engaged in espionage in Iran for 30 years, and is quite familiar with Iranian affairs; he has relations with some people and through his son in Tehran has succeeded to manage his secret deals from behind the Iranian border.'

In May 5^th 1953, William James Thompson, a 65 years old British priest, who had formed a committee with some British officers, was told to leave Iran. In May 19^th, Marc Prodo a spy under the cover of Associated Press correspondent received a notice to leave the country. Four days later espionage network headed by Borjou was announced to have been expelled from Iran.

In May 31^st 1953, Maris Joul, another spy was arrested. It became known that he has been in Tehran since 1936 and under the cover of financial activities spied on the country and introduced himself as an expert of silk and silkworm and also the agent of the international society of Refugee in Iran. After the occupation of Iran By allied forces in 1941, he served as the military attaché of France.

In June 18^th 1953, Marie Gualiche, a French subject who had entered Iran with a Swiss passport and was employed in Mohammad Reza Shah's brother, Abdol Reza's palace as a nurse, received a notice to leave the country.

From late June to early August of 1953, Delsuza who under the cover of doctor, collected secret information in Shiraz, Robert Alice who lived in Iran nearly for forty years, Jack who pretented to be an English teacher, William Morgan Nassot who entered Iran in 1931 as a merchant being appointed as the military commander of Hamadan by the allied forces in world war II and after the war, started a company to export carpets and skins, Dr. Rudolph Sharp as a doctor and Reginald Doglass Davidson, all were among the spies who received notices to leave Iran. It is clear that there were many other spies who continued their job.

The rupture of national unity, discord among the movement leaders, psychological warfare, disorder, instability, and other factors which led to the suppression of the movement and August 1953 coup, all and all were the fruit of espionage of hundreds of British and American agents in Iran.