1979 Iranian Revolution

The 1979 Iranian Revolution (also known as the Islamic Revolution) was a massive popular uprising that overthrew the 2,500-year-old Persian monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and transformed Iran into an Islamic Republic. Driven by deep resentment over the Shah’s authoritarian rule, Westernization policies, economic inequality, and SAVAK repression, millions of Iranians from diverse backgrounds united in protests that forced the Shah into exile. The return of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini from exile in February 1979 led to the establishment of a theocratic government that fundamentally reshaped Iran and Middle Eastern geopolitics.