Oil timeline

Iranian Prime Minister Haj Ali Razmara is assassinated

On March 7, 1951, Razmara went to a mosque for a memorial service. The police opened a corridor through the inner courtyard for the Prime Minister.... Read more

Mohammad Mosaddeq nationalizes Iran's oil

On 1 May, Mosaddeq nationalized the AIOC, cancelling its oil concession due to expire in 1993 and expropriating its assets. The next month a... Read more

1953 coup d'etat in Iran

The 1953 Iranian coup d’état deposed the democratically elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq. The United States'... Read more

Iraqi Forces Cause the Gulf War Oil Spill

On January 21, 1991, Iraqi forces opened valves at the Sea Island oil terminal and dumped oil from several tankers into the Persian Gulf. The... Read more