وليد بدران

Britain and the Soviet Union invaded neutral Iran on 25 August 1941 because of the country’s strategic location, oil infrastructure, access to the Persian Gulf, and railways that could transport supplies to the Soviet Union after Germany’s invasion. Allied distrust was intensified by Iran’s expanding economic relationship with Germany and Reza Shah’s refusal to fully expel German nationals. Iranian resistance collapsed, and Allied forces entered Tehran in September, forcing Reza Shah to abdicate in favor of his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Iran subsequently became the Persian Corridor, a major supply route for the Soviet war effort. The occupation reshaped Iran’s political order, weakened central authority, and contributed to postwar tensions that foreshadowed the Cold War.