The Abadan Crisis occurred from 1951 to 1954, after Iran nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and expelled Western companies from oil refineries in the city of Abadan. Britain was brought close to outright war with Iran, who retained an ally in the United States, hoping Iran would continue as a bulwark against communism. President Eisenhower reversed this stance in 1953. As a result of the crisis Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh was ousted from power. During the coup, codenamed Operation Ajax, the CIA and the MI6, placed Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in control of the country. In August, 1954, the company was set under the control of an international consortium. Initially, ownership shares in the Consortium proposed to be divided along the following lines: 40% to be divided equally (8% each) among the five major American companies; British Petroleum to have a 40% share; Shell to have 14%; and CFP, a French Company, to receive 6%. But American independent oil companies had been interested in beginning operations in Iran for some time and had only doing so while the Iranian/NIOC dispute continued. When it became known that independent companies were to be excluded from the consortium, these companies manifested their anger. In response to these complaints, Hoover persuaded the majors to relinquish 5% (or 1% each) of their shares in the consortium to be made available to American independent companies.... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nationalization is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ... The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) was founded in 1909, as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, following the discovery of a large oil field in Masjet Soleiman, Iran . ... Abadan (آبادان in Persian) is a city in the Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran (Persia). ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a popular movement. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... In the light of an amendment to Constitution of Iran in 1989, there is no longer a post titled Prime Minister of Iran, but Iran has had many prime ministers since the Qajar era, when the country was internationally known as Persia. ... Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh (Persian: محمد مصدق‎) (May 19, 1882 - March 4, 1967) was prime minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... Soldiers surround the Parliament building in Tehran on August 19, 1953. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the American foreign intelligence agencies, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), more commonly known as MI6 (originally Military Intelligence Section 6), or the Secret Service, is the United Kingdom external security agency. ... His Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (اعلیحضرت محمدرضا شاه پهلوی; October 26, 1919 – July 27, 1980) also knows as Aryamehr, was the last Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 until 1979. ... Consortium is a word that comes from the Latin consortium meaning association or society, from the word consors meaning owner of means or comrade. ... BP (formerly British Petroleum and briefly known as BP Amoco) (NYSE: BP) is a petroleum company headquartered in London, and one of the top four oil companies in the world (along with Shell, ExxonMobil, and Total). ... A Shell petrol station sign in the UK A Shell gas station in the U.S. A Shell gas station in Poland The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (called Shell Oil Company in the United States) is a major energy company, one of the top four oil/gas companies... The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) was founded in 1909, as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, following the discovery of a large oil field in Masjet Soleiman, Iran . ...