The U.S. orchestrated a 1953 coup in Iran that empowered Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, then deepened ties so dramatically that by 1979 America was blindsided when the Islamic Revolution toppled its closest Middle Eastern ally. Decades later, U.S. ignorance of Iran persists, repeating the same costly mistakes. Scott Anderson explains how American Cold War strategy created the very regime it now opposes. The 1953 CIA-backed coup against Prime Minister Mossadegh permanently branded the Shah as 'the American Shah' in Iranian eyes, linking his legitimacy entirely to U.S. support and fueling resentment across all social classes.