Abstract
The discovery of oil set Iran's contemporary history on a challenging path, leading it to become heavily dependent on oil. Warring countries such as Britain and the United States spared no effort to protect their oil interests in Iran. After the coup of August 11, a consortium of "seven major oil companies" called the "Seven Sisters" was formed. This contract was signed during the prime ministership of Fazlollah Zahedi and under the supervision of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Ali Amini. Therefore, it became known as the Amini-Page contract. It seems that this contract was in conflict with Iran's national sovereignty. The main question of the article is how the provisions of the contract contradicted Iran's national sovereignty. The main purpose is to express these contradictions with Iran's national sovereignty. Our assumption is that although this contract was apparently written as a 50-50, it actually violated the laws of the parliament. This article uses a descriptive-analytical method to examine the contradictions between the oil consortium and Iran's national sovereignty, using documents, archival records, and library resources.
Introduction
On November 28, 1955, an agreement was signed between the Iranian government and the National Iranian Oil Company on one side, and a consortium of foreign oil companies on the other. The new agreement, signed by both parties after months of negotiations on September 18, approved by the National Assembly on October 29, and ratified by the Senate on November 28, allowed for the nationalization of Iranian oil and oil industries. However, the Iranian government guaranteed to sell the oil produced to the consortium members (American, British, Dutch, and French companies) for 25 years.
After a hiatus of nearly four years, the sale of Iranian oil resumed in February 1955. This agreement, known as the Consortium, was signed during the prime ministership of Fazlollah Zahedi and under the supervision of the then Minister of Economy and Finance, Ali Amini. It became known as the Amini-Page Agreement. The consortium agreement, officially interpreted as "the contract for the sale of oil and gas to an international consortium," was similar to concession agreements in other countries in the Persian Gulf region in terms of contractual principles and practical results.
The importance of examining this consortium lies in the significance of oil exploration and its economic and security consequences. This has led to intervention in Iran's geopolitical geography and a clash of interests between major governments in the region.
Materials and Methods
The present article, using a descriptive-analytical method, seeks to answer the question of how countries exploit Iran’s oil capacity, examine the weakness of Iran’s national sovereignty in dealing with the oil issue, and express the contradictions of the 1954 oil consortium with national sovereignty. To this end, first, the economic conditions of Iran before the consortium, the coup of August 11, the oil consortium, and its contradictions with national sovereignty have been briefly examined. It should be noted that what has interested the authors of the present article and anyone who undertakes research in this historical period is the importance of oil exploration and its economic and security consequences, which have led to intervention in the political geography (of Iran) and then a clash of interests between major governments in the region. It seems that this contract has been less independently researched.
Discussion and Results
The oil contract with the consortium in Shahrivar 1333 should be considered as the real cause of the coup of Mordad 1332. In fact, for a long time, the former Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and other major American and European oil companies had seen the only way to end the Iranian oil crisis as overthrowing the legitimate Mossadegh regime and preparing the ground for the conclusion of this contract. After the coup of Mordad 18, 1332, the British and Americans reached a final agreement on the formation of the Iranian Oil Consortium. On December 16, 1953, the first joint meeting of officials from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, five American companies, and a Dutch-British company was held in London to prepare for the formation of the Iranian Oil Consortium.
This contract is also considered an international investment in the history of Iran, given the wide scope of operations and the extent of concessions and participation of almost all oil companies in the world.
Conclusion
The Consortium Agreement was a colonial agreement imposed on Iran after the coup of 19 Mordad 1953 and the return of the Shah during Zahedi's prime minister ship. Zahedi changed the policy of the previous government and agreed to resume political relations with Britain and negotiations on oil. The British and American governments wanted to find a solution to the oil problem, while international oil companies in the Middle East sought to adapt their production plans to the return of Iranian oil products to world markets. They aimed to conclude an agreement that went against the law on the nationalization of the oil industry. The contradictions between the articles of this agreement and the law of the National Assembly after the nationalization of the oil industry were the focus of this article. It examined the geographical area of the agreement, operation management, contract duration, tax exemption, Iranian sovereignty, and capitulation. The Consortium Agreement, on paper, confirmed the nationalization of the oil industry, but in practice, economic power remained in the hands of large foreign oil companies. The National Iranian Oil Company handed over production operations to an international consortium. A survey of Iran's economy since the Reza Shah era shows that Iran was moving towards becoming a single-product economy. However, the urgent need of England and America for Iran's oil resources led them to work together to undermine the national movement. The Consortium Agreement increased Iran's economic and political dependence on the West. It also raised questions about Iran's independence in the judicial and legal fields. In the end, the agreement provided little economic benefit to Iran.
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