1952 CIA coup in Iran

The original TRAJAX plan had warned that if the operation failed, the United States could suffer a major “blowback" — CIA jargon for damage — in the form of a break in diplomatic relations and expulsion of all Americans. Of course, the coup succeeded and no such “blowback” occurred. But if any of the original planners are still alive they might well admit that the long-term consequences were far more disastrous. The coup tarred America with the British brush: being perceived as the “colonial power,” a perception that created deep distrust between Iran and United States.