The CIA Helps Restore the Shah of Iran In 1952, Time magazine called Iranian premier Mohammed Mossadegh “the Iranian George Washington” for his commitment to nationalism and democracy. But Secretary of State John Foster Dulles believed that restoring Shah Reza Pahlavi to power would produce a more stable U.S. ally and persuaded President Eisenhower to approve a CIA-supported coup. Here supporters of the shah rally outside the home of Mossadegh, who was eventually forced out. AP Images.