The Iranian Revolution (1979)

Iran had been ruled since 1953 by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, restored by a CIA-backed coup that overthrew the elected nationalist prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh. The Shah pursued aggressive modernization (White Revolution) and aligned with the U.S. He used SAVAK to suppress dissent.

Opposition coalesced around Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, exiled to France. Mass protests through 1978 forced the Shah to flee in January 1979. Khomeini returned in February 1979 and established the Islamic Republic of Iran, combining elected officials with the ultimate authority of the Supreme Leader.

Global consequences:

• U.S. Embassy hostage crisis (Nov 1979 – Jan 1981): 52 Americans held for 444 days
• Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988): Saddam Hussein's Iraq invaded Iran, supported by the U.S. and other Arab states
• Inspiration of Islamist political movements across the Muslim world
• Persistent hostility between Iran and the United States