The Iranian Revolution
Learn about the Iranian Revolution of 1979 — the popular uprising that overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic republic that transformed Middle Eastern politics.
The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was one of the late 20th century's most transformative events — a popular uprising that overthrew a Western-allied monarch, established the world's first modern Islamic republic, and sent shockwaves through the Middle East and beyond. The revolution demonstrated that political Islam could be a revolutionary force capable of toppling established governments.
Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi had ruled Iran as an American-backed autocrat who pursued rapid modernization while brutally suppressing dissent through his secret police, SAVAK. Opposition united a broad coalition: Islamists led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leftists, liberals, and nationalists who shared little except hatred of the Shah. When the Shah fled Iran in January 1979, Khomeini returned from exile to establish an Islamic republic that consolidated power in the hands of Shia clergy.
The revolution's consequences rippled globally. The hostage crisis at the American embassy (1979–1981) poisoned US-Iranian relations for decades. The Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) killed over a million people. Iran's support for Hezbollah, Hamas, and other groups reshaped regional power dynamics. The revolution inspired both hope and fear across the Islamic world, demonstrating that an ancient civilization could chart a path entirely different from Western modernity.