TEHRAN (FNA)- Thousands of Iranian social media activists showed their protest at the BBC's role in the 1953 coup against the legal government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq in favor of strengthening the monarchical rule of the dethroned King, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The Iranians started trending #BBC ?????? (coup) and thousands of tweets pursued in a matter of few hours.


Over 20,000 tweets were sent by the Iranians in a few hours to protest at the BBC's role in the 1953 coup; the BBC wired the coup's code on its Persian service radio to inform the coup plotters of the start of the coup against Mosaddeq.


The British government used the BBC Persian service for advancing its propaganda against Mosaddeq. Anti-Mosaddeq material were repeatedly aired on the radio channel to the extent that the Iranian staff at the BBC Persian radio went on strike to protest the move.


In a documentary Cinematograph aired on 18 August 2011 on the anniversary of the coup, the BBC admitted for the first time to the role of BBC Persian radio as the propaganda arm of the British government in Iran. The Cinematograph narrator said, "The British government used the BBC Persian radio for advancing its propaganda against Mosaddeq and anti-Mosaddeq material were repeatedly aired on the radio channel to the extent that Iranian staff at the BBC Persian radio went on strike to protest the move."


The documentary quoted a 21 July 1951 classified document in which a Foreign Office official thanked the British ambassador for his proposals that were precisely followed by the BBC Persian radio to strengthen its propaganda against Mosaddeq: "The BBC had already made most of the points which you listed, but they were very glad to have an indication from you of what was likely to be most effective and will arrange their program accordingly... We should also avoid direct attacks on the 'ruling classes' since it seems probable that we may want to deal with a government drawn from those classes should Mosaddeq fall."


By Fars News Agency