This twitter thread (https://mobile.twitter.com/ireland/status/954792642327523329) lists a number of accusations against Winston Churchill. The poster accepts that he is no historian, but many of his accusations seem accurate to a casual reader. How reliable are his claims?
Well, I can comment on the ones I'm familiar with:
In 1914 Churchill came up with the idea of the British government being the major shareholder in the Anglo-Iranian oil company. It wouldn’t pay Iran dividends before paying tax to British Exchequer. Illegally taxing Iranian government.
I'm not sure whether or not Churchill per se "came up with" the idea, although he did push for the British conversion of the Royal Navy from coal to oil, which prompted the British government to seek out sources of oil. The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later BP) fit the bill. The government's controlling stake in the company was approved by the commons.
I'm not really sure what he's talking about "illegally taxing Iranian government" but I think he's talking about much later disputes over revenue. There were no such disputes that I'm aware of in 1914 and wouldn't be any for many years.
When Mohammad Mosaddegh threatened England interests, Churchill was ready to protect them no matter what. He helped organise a coup. Democracy eh? Funny old thing. The BBC sent coded messages over to the Shah to let them know when to overthrow the government. Sorry, democratically elected government. Instead of ending broadcasts with “its now midnight in London” they said “its now exactly midnight”
Mossadegh himself was never "democratically elected" as Prime Minister, but I suppose that's neither here nor there. Painting Churchill as personally and solely responsible for the coup is kind of silly.
Iraq.
Churchill was “Secretary of State for the Colonies” in ‘21. This is when he decided air power was superior to troops on the ground and he just bombed the shit out of any resistance
“I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against the uncivilised tribes, it would spread a lively terror” I’m assuming after he said this he laughed maniacally? He bombed Mesopotamia a full village wiped out in 45 minutes.
This is garbled nonsense. This "quote" elides critical parts of the passage to make Churchill look evil. It's clear in context that Churchill's reference to "poison gas" is to non-lethal tear gas. Here's the full quote:
"I do not understand this squeamishness about the use of gas. We have definitely adopted the position at the Peace Conference of arguing in favour of the retention of gas as a permanent method of warfare. It is sheer affectation to lacerate a man with the poisonous fragment of a bursting shell and to boggle at making his eyes water by means of lachrymatory gas [tear gas]. I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes. The moral effect should be so good that the loss of life should be reduced to a minimum. It is not necessary to use only the most deadly gasses: gasses can be used which cause great inconvenience and would spread a lively terror and yet would leave no serious permanent effects on most of those affected."
His point, in other words, was to save lives. Churchill did not decide that "air power was superior to troops on the ground and he just bombed the shit out of any resistance." Churchill was not commander on the ground, although he did authorize reinforcements to Iraq. Prior to 1920 British policy was basically to govern Iraq as a colony in the style of India. After 1920 it was decided, in large part by Churchill, that a much greater degree of independence with a lighter British footprint would be better. The RAF was put in charge in Iraq partly as a cost saving measure and partly because the one thing Faisal's nascent Iraqi military did not and likely wouldn't have was an air force. I'm also not entirely sure what the poster thinks the British government ought to have done? Not fought off the revolt?
In any event, Churchill certainly had a major role in these decisions, but they were ultimately British government policy, of which he was not the head.
Nor am I entirely sure why any part of this is "villainous."
As a more general point, the poster is engaging in polemic. Even to the extent that his points are accurate, if your aim is to make someone a villain and then you pick and choose decontextualized facts about them, or intentionally misleading quotes, you'll probably be able to accomplish your goal.