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History of the Islamic Revolution (02.2018)

Waiting for a religious leader

About four million Iranians celebrated Khomeini’s arrival on the streets of Tehran. Mass demonstrations against the Shah of Persia have been going on for about a year. Since August 1978, general opposition strikes have crippled the country’s economy.

History of the Islamic Revolution (02.2018)

The Shah leaves Persia

Early on January 16, 1979, Shah Reza Pahlavi left Iran. A short time ago, at the Guadeloupe conference, he had supported Western governments, which were in favor of dialogue with Khomeini. US President Jimmy Carter offered the shah to stay in the United States, which he accepted.

History of the Islamic Revolution (02.2018)

The prime minister failed

The Shah had appointed Shapur Bakhtiar, one of the leaders of the opposition National Front, as interim prime minister to reassure his rivals, but without success. Bakhtiar was excluded from his party because he accepted the position. The other members of the front had already agreed to work only with Khomeini.

History of the Islamic Revolution (02.2018)

Speech in the cemetery

Khomeini said upon his arrival in Tehran that he did not recognize Bakhtiar’s government. He traveled from the airport to the central cemetery in the Iranian capital, where he addressed hundreds of thousands of people. He wrested the legitimacy of the monarchy and parliament, and announced that he would take the government of Iran into his own hands.

History of the Islamic Revolution (02.2018)

Unrest across the country

In Tehran and other cities in Iran there were violent clashes between the revolutionaries and followers of the Shah of Persia. The unrest was dangerous and the army declared a curfew, but no Iranians listened.

History of the Islamic Revolution (02.2018)

Prime Minister of the transitional period

On February 5, 1979, Khomeini appointed Mahdi Bazargan of the National Front as the transitional minister. It seems that the clergy will cooperate with the liberal opposition. However, conflicts soon erupted between the two sides and Bazargan resigned on November 5, 1979 in response to the hostage-taking at the US embassy in Tehran, which Khomeini had tolerated.

History of the Islamic Revolution (02.2018)

The Iranian people are celebrating

After Barzjan was appointed, thousands of people took to the streets to support the transitional government. The army declared that it would not intervene in the power struggle, in which Shapur Bakhtiar had lost all support. He was forced to flee his home in pursuit of Khomeini’s armed henchmen. In April 1979 he went into exile in France.

History of the Islamic Revolution (02.2018)

The military salute

The elite unit of the Iranian Air Force salutes Ayatollah Khomeini. The Iranian Air Force played a central role in the victory of the revolution as it gave citizens access to their weapons depots. On February 9, there was a final uprising of the Imperial Guard, which attacked an army base.

History of the Islamic Revolution (02.2018)

The overthrow of the monarchy

Armed fighting increased between the Imperial Guard and the Iranian population and on February 11, 1979, chaos reigned across Iran. The revolutionaries occupied Parliament, the Senate, the state television channel, and other state bodies. Shortly thereafter it became known that the monarchy had been overthrown. In Iran, the 11th of February is celebrated as the “Day of the Islamic Revolution”.

Author: Parisa Tonekaboni (CP)