Jamshid Amouzgar, Former Prime Minister of the Pahlavi Era, Passes Away

Jamshid Amouzgar, one of the ministers and prime ministers during Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's era, passed away at the age of 93. Mr. Amouzgar was the last prime minister of Iran before the 1979 revolution who was still alive. Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, announced Mr. Amouzgar's death on his Facebook page on Wednesday, October 7, stating that "his services to our country, Iran, are commendable" and extended his condolences to Jamshid Amouzgar's family. Khosrow Akmal, the protocol officer of Mohammad Reza Shah's court, also confirmed Mr. Amouzgar's death in an interview with Radio Farda. Mr. Amouzgar passed away on Tuesday, October 6, in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. He moved to the United States shortly before the victory of the 1979 revolution and the fall of the monarchy in Iran. Jamshid Amouzgar held a PhD in hydraulics from the University of Washington and returned to Iran after several years of working with the engineering departments of the United Nations in the USA. Upon his return to Iran, he joined the Ministry of Health. Mr. Amouzgar then served multiple times as Minister of Labor, Minister of Health, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Agriculture. He was also a senior representative of Iran in global economic and energy forums. His significant responsibilities included chairing the annual meeting of the World Bank and presiding over the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) summit during the Pahlavi era, a time when Iran played a crucial role in determining global oil policies. Jamshid Amouzgar ultimately served as Prime Minister of Iran from August 1976 until September 1977, succeeding Amir Abbas Hoveyda, who held the position for 13 years.