[joshuaissac]

> The parliament while Mossadegh was prime minister was democratically elected

> (though Mossadegh was appointed by the Shah, per the constitution)

This is the case in almost all parliamentary democracies. The head of state (either the president, the monarch or the viceroy) invites the leader of the largest party or coalition in the parliament to form the government and become the prime minister.

[bnralt]

> This is the case in almost all parliamentary democracies.

Iran _wasn't_ a parliamentary democracy at the time. It was a constitutional monarchy where an unelected monarch wielded significant political power. As I noted, he had just had the constitution changed a few years prior to increase the political powers granted to him (against U.S. objections, it should be noted).