Amir Abbas Hoveida (in Persian: امیر عباس هویدا; February 18, 1919–April 7,1979), also spelled Hoveyda, was a significant Iranian politician. He served as Prime Minister of Iran from January 27, 1965 to August 7, 1977.

Born in Tehran, Hoveida studies overseas in Belgium and France, before returning to Iran, where he joined the foreign office. He was stationed in the embassies in France and West Germany, as well as to the Iranian legation to the United Nations. Upon returning to Iran in 1958, he joined the Board of Directors of the National Iranian Oil Company .

Hoveida entered politics when he was asked to serve as Finance Minister in the government of Hassan Ali Mansour . Upon Mansour's assassination in 1965, Hoveida replaced him as prime minister.

During his term in office, Iran experienced considerable prosperity, and Hoveida easily led his New Iran Party to victory in the 1971 elections. Though he was removed as prime minister in 1977, he remained in the government until September 1978, serving as Minister of the Royal Court.

The rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Iran prompted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to install a military government in November 1978. Hoveida was arrested and detained briefly for alleged irregularities during his term in office. He was in jail when the Iranian Revolution of 1979 took place. Brought before a revolutionary tribunal, Hoveida was executed by firing squad that same year, on orders of tribunal judge Ayatollah Sadegh Khalkhali.

External links

• http://www.hoveyda.org/