National Front (Iran)

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The National Front of Iran (Jebhe Melli) is a Democratic political opposition group founded by Mohammad Mossadegh and other secular Iranian leaders of Nationalist, Liberal, and Social-Democratic political orientation who had been educated in France in the late 1940s. It is currently active both in Iran and in exile.

Soon after its foundation, the National Front opposed the Western domination of natural resources in Iran--gained mostly by concessions obtained from the monarchy during the late Qajar period--primarily those owned by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and an attempt to counteract the British dominance of Iran by initiating relations with the United States. Upon taking office in April of 1951, Prime Minister Mossadegh enforced the "Oil Nationalization Act", passed by the Majlis earlier that year in March, which called for nationalization of the assets held by AIOC, from which the government of Iran received minimal compensation. This led to the Abadan Crisis and the eventual Anglo-American sponsored coup d'etat against Mossadegh in 1953.