In the opposite camp, chief of staff Hussein Fawzi chaired a political and parliamentary opposition that aspired to reconstruct Iraq and to reinforce its autonomy far from the treaties that tied it to British interests. The opposition consisted of a number of army officers and national parties under the leadership of Rashid Ali el-Keilany. As the political conflict started to flare up between the rival camps, the then Regent Prince Abdullah delegated PM Nouri al-Said to form a new government. Al-Said seized the opportunity to wreak his vengeance by dismissing his rival Hussein Fawzi and his supporting military leaders. This exacerbated the wrath of nationalist movements and those sectors wanting to loosen the tight grip exercised by Britain on Iraq’s ministries, economy, currency and oil resources.

Faced with Nouri al-Said’s drastic decline in popularity among infuriated crowds, the Regent resorted to deposing the government in a bid to defuse the tension. He appointed Rashid Ali el-Keilany as Prime Minister. El-Keilany was on good terms with all parties, for he belonged to the national school of King Ghazi before the latter’s tragic death in an enigmatic car accident. He was also the King’s confidant and the head of the Royal Court. In order to contain the situation, Rashid Ali el-Keilany formed a national coalition government consisting of rival political and military figures and appointed Nouri al-Said as Minister of Foreign Affairs. As military operations expanded in Europe and following Germany’s occupation of France and Italy’s alliance with Germany, a vehement outcry was raised to put an end to Britain’s influence in Iraq and abrogate the 1930 treaty.

Fearing to lose its grip on Iraq and therefore lose the numerous strategic and petroleum interests it had fought so hard to control, Britain urged the Iraqi authorities to open their bases and to employ their transport facilities for the passage of the reinforcements coming from India and the Arab Gulf to support the British armed forces fighting in the European front in accordance with of the provisions of the 1930 treaty. Following lengthy controversies and debates in Parliament, the government decided to maintain a sensible and balanced stance by agreeing to implement the clauses relating to the transit of military forces only while keeping Iraq out of the war.

Regent Abdullah and his British allies started to escalate demands for the resignation of Rashid Ali el-Keilany. In such a highly sensitive situation, el-Keilany deemed it wise to give up his office in order to spare the country from the unrest and bloodshed and handed power over to Taha el-Hashimi who was known for his nationalist inclinations. Yet, as soon as he assumed his premiership duties, Regent Abdullah requested him to stamp out all the opponents of British policy. Having thus exposed the plot they were brewing against him, el-Keilany set his mind to overthrowing the Regent and the government in collaboration with four generals of the Iraqi revolutionary army.

In April 1941, the military besieged the royal court and seized power in Baghdad amidst unparalleled poplar support. Taha el-Hashimi was forced to resign and Regent Abdullah managed to flee to Basra for protection, whence he was taken to safety in Jordan. As Iraq reached the juncture of constitutional vacuum, el-Keilany took the initiative to form an interim government to handle exigent matters and to safeguard the unity of the country, holding Regent Abdullah accountable for the deterioration. Prince Abdullah was deposed and was replaced by Sherif Sharaf as the new Regent and a new government was formed consisting of anti-British nationalist figures.

Unsurprisingly, Britain refused to recognize the new government and upped the stakes by enlarging its military forces in Iraq in the hope of reinstating Regent Abdullah and Nouri al-Said. The revolutionaries declared war on Britain in May 1941, which resulted in the dismissal of the government and el-Keilany’s taking refuge in Italy and then in Germany from where he began a new chapter in the fight against British occupation.