ach achi ▁met ▁with ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁U . S . ▁officials ▁to ▁discuss ▁the ▁es cal ating ▁Middle ▁East ▁crisis ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 , ▁including ▁U . S . ▁amb assador ▁to ▁the ▁UN ▁Arthur ▁Gold berg , ▁Under ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁for ▁Political ▁Affairs ▁Eug ene ▁V . ▁Rost ow , ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁Dean ▁Rus k , ▁and ▁President ▁Johnson ▁himself . ▁The ▁political ▁atmosphere ▁eng ender ed ▁by ▁the ▁cost ly ▁Arab ▁defeat ▁prompt ed ▁Ira q ▁to ▁break ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁U . S . ▁on ▁June ▁ 7 , ▁and ▁ultimately ▁ens ured ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁Ar if ' s ▁relatively ▁moder ate ▁government . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁while ▁Ar if ▁was ▁sleep ing , ▁his ▁own ▁assist ants ▁along ▁with ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Ba ' ath ▁Party , ▁Ah med ▁Hass an ▁al - B ak r , ▁over th rew ▁him ▁in ▁a ▁blood less ▁coup . ▁As ▁Ar if ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁had ▁done ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁coup ▁against ▁Q as im , ▁the ▁coal ition ▁declared ▁victory ▁once ▁they ▁had ▁captured ▁the ▁radio ▁station ▁and ▁the ▁min istry ▁of ▁defense . ▁It ▁was ▁accomplished ▁when ▁the ▁defense ▁minister , ▁Hard an ▁Al - T ik rit i , ▁ph oned ▁Ar if ▁inform ing ▁him ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁president . ▁Ar if ▁was ▁ex iled ▁to ▁Turkey . ▁ ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁Ira q ▁in ▁