In particular, the State Department harped on one theme: If Iranian oil did not move, the country would collapse economically, and it would fall, one way or another, into the Soviet camp. That would, in turn, threaten the rest of the Middle East—specifically, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq—and the concessions therein. It could also mean serious trouble in strictly commercial terms: The Russians might dump Iranian oil onto the world market. The communist threat to Iran warranted participation in the country and there would be one notable benefit. Participation would give the American companies
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