When and how did outside countries capture and control the wealth of West Asia?

 

Outside powers captured and controlled the wealth of West Asia primarily during the 19th and 20th centuries. They used financial loans, military interventions, the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, and corporate oil concessions to dominate the region's resources. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Financial Encroachment and Concessions (19th Century)

Debt Traps: Local rulers in places like Egypt and Qajar Iran took massive loans from European banks. When they could not pay, foreign powers seized control of national revenues, customs houses, and infrastructure. [1]
Infrastructure Monopolies: European investors gained state-backed concessions to build and run telegraphs, railways, and ports. This allowed them to extract raw materials directly to foreign markets while keeping local profits low. [1, 2]
Resource Extraction: The discovery of oil in Iran led to the creation of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in 1908. This gave British corporate and government interests direct ownership over regional petroleum wealth. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Direct Partition and Mandates (Post-World War I)

Collapse of the Ottomans: As the Ottoman Empire weakened and fell after World War I, Britain and France stepped into the power vacuum.
League of Nations Mandates: Under the 1919 peace settlements, the Allied powers drew new national borders. France took control of Syria and Lebanon, while Britain took control of Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine.
Strategic Control: These mandates ensured foreign oversight of vital trade corridors, military bases, and newly mapped oil fields. [1, 2]

Cold War and Corporate Dominance (Mid-to-Late 20th Century)

Coup d'État and Interventions: When Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh nationalized Iranian oil in 1951, foreign intelligence agencies orchestrated a covert coup in 1953 to restore a pro-Western monarch and secure foreign oil access. [1]
The Patron-State System: Global powers like the United States and the Soviet Union traded military protection, economic aid, and arms for guaranteed access to strategic resources and regional political alignment. [1, 2, 3]