Iranian Revolution

Setting the scene

By 1978, Iran was ruled by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who had been restored to power by a CIA-backed coup in 1953. The Shah pursued rapid modernization and secularization, using oil wealth to build a modern military and infrastructure. But his regime was repressive—SAVAK, his secret police, tortured dissidents. The Shah's lavish lifestyle and Westernization alienated religious conservatives, while his failure to share oil wealth angered the poor and leftists. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, exiled in 1964 for opposing the Shah, became a focal point of opposition from abroad.

What happened

Protests began in January 1978 and grew throughout the year, despite martial law and troops firing on demonstrators. On September 8, 'Black Friday,' troops killed hundreds in Tehran. Strikes paralyzed the oil industry. On January 16, 1979, the Shah fled Iran. Khomeini returned on February 1 to massive crowds. On February 11, the military declared neutrality, and the revolution triumphed. A referendum in March approved an Islamic Republic, and Khomeini became Supreme Leader. In November 1979, Iranian students seized the U.S. Embassy, taking 52 Americans hostage for 444 days, after the U.S. admitted the Shah for medical treatment.

Why it still matters

The Iranian Revolution transformed the Middle East, creating the first modern theocracy and inspiring Islamist movements worldwide. It ended 2,500 years of monarchy in Iran and established a model of Islamic governance. The revolution led to the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), which killed 1 million, and made Iran the leading state sponsor of terrorism, supporting Hezbollah and other groups. It also caused the second oil shock of the 1970s, with prices doubling. The hostage crisis humiliated the United States and contributed to Jimmy Carter's defeat in 1980. The revolution's legacy includes ongoing U.S.-Iran hostility, Iran's nuclear program, and the enduring tension between secular modernity and religious traditionalism in the Muslim world.

Background

It reshaped politics across the Middle East.