Ali Amini (Persian: علی امینی; 12 September 1905–12 December 1992) was an Iranian politician who was the Prime Minister of Iran from 1961 to 1962. He held several cabinet portfolios during the 1950s, and served as a member of parliament between 1947 and 1949.
Ali Amini | |
|---|---|
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| 34th Prime Minister of Iran | |
| In office 5 May 1961 – 19 July 1962 | |
| Monarch | Mohammad Reza Shah |
| Preceded by | Jafar Sharif-Emami |
| Succeeded by | Asadollah Alam |
| Ambassador of Iran to the United States | |
| In office 24 January 1956 – 22 May 1958 | |
| Monarch | Mohammad Reza Shah |
| Preceded by | Nasrollah Entezam |
| Succeeded by | Ali Gholi Ardalan |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 7 April 1955 – 24 January 1956 | |
| Prime Minister | Hossein Ala |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 19 August 1953 – 6 April 1955 | |
| Prime Minister | Fazlollah Zahedi |
| Preceded by | Nezam-ed-din Emami |
| Succeeded by | Nasrollah Jahangir |
| Minister of Economy | |
| In office 5 August 1951 – 16 July 1952 | |
| Prime Minister | Mohammad Mosaddegh |
| Preceded by | Shamseddin Amir-Alaei |
| Succeeded by | Bagher Kazemi |
| In office 23 March 1950 – 26 June 1950 | |
| Prime Minister | Ali Mansur |
| Member of the National Consultative Assembly | |
| In office 12 June 1947 – 28 July 1949 | |
| Constituency | Tehran |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 September 1905 Tehran, Persia |
| Died | 12 December 1992 (aged 87) Paris, France |
| Political party |
|
| Spouse |
Batoul Voosough
(m. 1932; died 1992) |
| Children | Iraj |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar (grandfather) Vossug ed Dowleh (father-in-law) |
| Alma mater | University of Grenoble University of Paris |
Amini was widely regarded as "a protégé of the United States"[1] and a "pro-American liberal reformer".[2]
Early life and education
editAmini was born on 12 September 1905 in Tehran.[3] He was a grandson of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar through his mother, Fakhr-ol-dowleh.[4] His father was a significant statesman during the Qajar period, Mohsen Amin-ol-dowleh.[4]
He completed his studies first in Darolfonoon and then in France where he graduated with a degree in law from Grenoble University,[5] followed by his PhD in economics from Paris. His PhD thesis was concerned with the foreign trade monopoly in Iran.[6]
Upon his return to Iran, he was employed at the Ministry of Justice by Ali Akbar Davar.[3]
Career
editAmini was a founding member of the Democrat Party of Iran, and entered the 15th term of parliament with the party's ticket.[3] His first ministerial portfolio was in the cabinet of Ali Mansur.[3]
He served as a minister in the cabinet of Mohammad Mosaddegh, but broke away from Mosaddegh in July 1952. He was later regarded as a "traitor" by the National Front, because of his collaboration with the post-1953 Iranian coup d'état government.[5] He became minister of economic affairs in the cabinet of Fazlollah Zahedi and remained in office until 1955.[5] He was then appointed as the justice minister under Hossein Ala in 1955.[3][7] He was named the ambassador to the US in 1956 which he held until 1958.[3][7]
His tendencies were pro-American to the extent that made the Shah uncomfortable. Mohammad Reza Shah in particular distrusted Amini's popularity and friendship with then-senator John F. Kennedy.[6] Therefore, his tenure ended in 1958.[5]
In the 1950s, Amini was a candidate for the premiership. He was appointed prime minister in 1961. In July 1962, however, he was replaced by the Shah's close friend and a major Birjand landowner Asadollah Alam. In the late 1970s, Amini attempted a comeback into Iranian politics at the age of 70. He served as an advisor to the Shah during the final days of the Pahlavi dynasty.
Personal life
editAmini married Batoul Voosough (died 1992) in 1932 and they had a son, Iraj.[8] She was the daughter of Hasan Voosough Al Dawlah whose brother was Ahmad Qavam.[4]
Honours
editAmini was awarded Grand Croix of the Legion of Honor in 1962.[9]
Later years and death
editIn 1979, Amini moved to Paris, France. There he headed the Front for the Liberation of Iran, a monarchist opposition group.[10] He complained about internal struggles among the exiled Iranian monarchists, saying "We're not even back in Tehran [and] they quarrel over the name of the country's future prime minister."[10] He wrote his biography published by Harvard University.
He died in Paris on 12 December 1992, aged 87.[8] His body was buried in Passy Cemetery.
References
edit- ^ Avery, P.; Bayne Fisher, William; Hambly, G. R. G.; Melville, C., eds. (1990). The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 7. Cambridge University Press. p. 275. ISBN 9780521200950.
- ^ Parvin Paydar (1995). Women and the Political Process in Twentieth-Century Iran. Cambridge University Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-521-59572-8.
- ^ a b c d e f Abbas Milani (2008). "Ali Amini". Eminent Persians: The Men and Women who Made Modern Iran, 1941-1979. Vol. 1. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press. pp. 63–71. ISBN 978-0815609070.
- ^ a b c James A. Bill (1988). The Eagle and the Lion. The Tragedy of American-Iranian Relations. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 107–108. doi:10.12987/9780300159516-006. ISBN 978-0-300-04412-6. S2CID 246116954.
- ^ a b c d Barry Rubin (1980). Paved with Good Intentions (PDF). New York: Penguin Books. p. 106. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2013.
- ^ a b Ehsanee Ian Sadr (2013). To whisper in the king's ear: Economists in Pahlavi and Islamic Iran (PhD thesis). University of Maryland, College Park. p. 36. ProQuest 1432765052.
- ^ a b Michael J. Willcocks (2015). Agent or Client: Who Instigated the White Revolution of the Shah and the People in Iran, 1963? (PhD thesis). University of Manchester. pp. 49–50.
- ^ a b Moin, Baqer (17 December 1992). "Obituary: Ali Amini". The Independent. Archived from the original on 16 December 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ^ "Ali Amini; Foe of Iran's Islamic Government". Los Angeles Times. 17 December 1992. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ^ a b "Rivalry complicates Iranian exile struggle". The Christian Science Monitor. 3 July 1986. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
External links
edit- Transcript of Amini interview as part of Harvard Iranian Oral History Project directed by Habib Ladjevardi
Media related to Ali Amini at Wikimedia Commons
