The 2nd World War proved the rising importance of oil . Allied air forces in the Middle East , the Far East and Europe were mainly reliant , on Abadan for fuel . In August 1944 the Soviet government sent its foreign minister to Tehran for an oil concession . The negative response of the Iranian government which had decided to abstain from granting concessions until the end of the war , enraged the Soviets , and the Tudeh
( Communist ) party held anti-government demonstrations and rallies across the nation .