Jamshid Amouzegar

Jamshid Amouzegar
71st Prime Minister of Iran
In office
7 August 1977 – 27 August 1978
Monarch Mohammad Reza Shah
Deputy Gholam Reza Azhari
Preceded by Amir-Abbas Hoveyda
Succeeded by Jafar Sharif-Emami
Minister of Interior
In office
1 March 1974 – 7 August 1977
Prime Minister Amir-Abbas Hoveida
Preceded by Kamal Hassani
Succeeded by Gholam Reza Azhari
Minister of Finance
In office
1 February 1965 – 1 March 1974
Prime Minister Amir-Abbas Hoveida
Preceded by Amir-Abbas Hoveida
Succeeded by Hushang Ansary
Leader of Rastakhiz Party
In office
1 August 1977 – 27 August 1978
Deputy Javad Saeed
Preceded by Amir-Abbas Hoveida
Succeeded by Javad Saeed
Personal details
Born (1923-06-25)25 June 1923
Tehran, Iran
Died 27 September 2016(2016-09-27) (aged 93)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Political party Rastakhiz Party
Spouse(s) Ulriche Amouzegar (1925–2005, her death)
Alma mater Cornell University
Religion Shia Islam
Signature

Jamshid Amouzegar (Persian: جمشید آموزگار‎‎‎; 25 June 1923 – 27 September 2016) was an Iranian economist and politician who was prime minister of Iran from 7 August 1977 to 27 August 1978 when he resigned. Prior to that, he served as the minister of interior and minister of finance in the cabinet of Amir-Abbas Hoveida. He was the leader of Rastakhiz Party during his tenure as prime minister of Iran.

Early life and education

Born on 25 June 1923 in Tehran, Iran,[1] He graduated from Tehran University with degrees in law and engineering.[1] Then he attended Cornell University and received a PhD.[1]

Career

Amouzegar began to serve as deputy minister in the Iran's ministry of health under Jahanshah Saleh in 1955. He was appointed minister of labor and then minister of health in the cabinet led by prime minister Hasan-ali Mansour. He subsequently became minister of finance in the cabinet of Amir Abbas Hoveida after the assassination of prime minister Mansour in 1964, remaining in that post for nine years. From 1965 to 1974 he headed several ordinary meetings of the OPEC.[2] In 1971, he and Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani of Saudi Arabia were instrumental in implementing the series of price hikes that ultimately quadrupled the price of oil and provided the resources for Iran to modernize its infrastructure, agriculture, and defense. For this accomplishment, Amouzegar was awarded the Taj-e Iran, first class, an honor normally reserved for only the prime minister and former prime ministers. He was appointed minister of interior in 1974. On 21 December 1975 he was taken hostage by the Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal during an OPEC meeting. Carlos was ordered to execute him, but did not do so, and Amouzegar was released along with the other hostages after a few days.

In 1977 he became chairman of the Rastakhiz (Resurrection) party, having led the progressive faction against finance minister Hushang Ansary's liberal constructionist faction. Soon after Jimmy Carter became president of the United States, Amouzegar was appointed prime minister of Iran on 7 August 1977, succeeding Amir Abbas Hoveyda.[3] However, he rapidly became unpopular as he attempted to slow the overheated economy with measures that, although generally thought necessary, triggered a downturn in employment and private sector profits that would later compound the government's problems. He resigned and was replaced by Jafar Sharif-Emami on 27 August 1978.[3][4] He died in United States on 27 September 2016 at age of 93.[5][6]

Quotes

We Iranians were invaded by Greeks, Arabs, Mongols, and Turks, but we never lost our identity because foreign invaders would find a richer culture in Persians than that of their own.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kadivar, Darius (20 May 2012). "Shah Names New Cabinet with Jamshid Amouzegar as PM (1977)". The Iranian. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "162th Ordinary Meeting" (PDF). OPEC. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  3. 1 2 Nikazmerad, Nicholas M. (1980). "A Chronological Survey of the Iranian Revolution". Iranian Studies. 13 (1/4): 327–368. doi:10.1080/00210868008701575. JSTOR 4310346.
  4. ↑ Mansoor Moaddel (January 1994). Class, Politics, and Ideology in the Iranian Revolution. Columbia University Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-231-51607-5. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  5. ↑ نخست‌وزیر پادشاه؛ بدترین زمان ملاقات با سرنوشت, BBC Persian
  6. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/jamshid-amouzegar-former-iranian-prime-minister-dies-at-93/2016/10/19/fa6a5044-9628-11e6-bc79-af1cd3d2984b_story.html

Source used for this article

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jamshid Amouzegar.
Political offices
Preceded by
Amir-Abbas Hoveida		 Minister of Finance
1965–1974 		Succeeded by
Hushang Ansary
Preceded by
Kamal Hassani		 Minister of Interior
1974–1977 		Succeeded by
Gholam Reza Azhari
Preceded by
Amir-Abbas Hoveida		 Prime Minister of Iran
1977–1978 		Succeeded by
Jafar Sharif-Emami
Party political offices
Preceded by
Amir-Abbas Hoveida		 Leader of Rastakhiz Party
1977–1978 		Succeeded by
Javad Saeed
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