Premier Mohammed Mossadegh’s efforts to get “immediate financial aid” from the United States to prevent Iran from being “paralyzed from lack of funds” seem to be getting him into somewhat of a jam in his own country. [Referring to his Nov. 14th remarks at the National Press Club]

It was Premier Mossadegh who spearheaded the nationalization of Iran’s huge oil resources, thus driving out the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. and its British technicians and depriving Iran of some $60,000,000 a year in revenues.

No wonder he now finds Iran in an economic crisis. And no wonder the opposition at home is making hay while the sun shines.

The leader of the opposition, Jamal Emami, charged in Parliament the other day that Premier Mossadegh has bungled the oil nationalization. He said that as a result of seven months of nationalization Iran has lost her trump cards. He said the neutrality advocated by the Mossadegh party is unrealistic and urged that Iran join the Western bloc of nations arrayed against Communism.

There is no doubt in Tehran political circles that if Premier Mossadegh arrives home from the United States next week with little or nothing to offer from his long absence, his job and his party ascendancy will be in grave danger.

And if the Mossadegh government falls, there is hope among his opponents that the way will be opened for breaking the oil deadlock and getting Iran back on the road to financial stability.

From the standpoint both of Iran and the West, the situation now appears to hold definite possibilities.