Iranian Revolution

Iranian Revolution
Part of the Cold War
Date 7 January 1978 – 11 February 1979 Location Iran Result Establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Khomeini becomes the Supreme Leader of Iran Start of the Iran–Iraq War, the Iran hostage crisis, and the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
Belligerents
Imperial State of Iran Supported by: United States United Kingdom	Islamic Republic of Iran
Commanders and leaders
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Jimmy Carter James Callaghan	Ruhollah Khomeini

The Iranian Revolution, also known popularly by Iranians as the Islamic Revolution, occurred in 1979 in the Muslim-majority country of Iran. Islamist revolutionaries, opposed to the pro-Western policies of secularization implemented by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, overthrew the government installed by the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1953 Iranian coup d'état and established the Islamic Republic of Iran.^[1][2][3]

The Iranian Revolution began when supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini, previously exiled from the country as punishment for criticizing the Shah, launched massive protests against the regime of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.^[4] The ultimately successful revolution enabled Khomeini to become the Supreme Leader of Iran. He then founded the Islamic Republic with support from the public referendum.

Shortly after the revolution, tensions began to arise between the Iranian government of Ayatollah Khomeini and the Iraqi government of President Saddam Hussein.^[5] This resulted in the Iran–Iraq War. Around the same time, supporters of the revolution attacked the Embassy of the United States in the Iranian capital city of Tehran, beginning the Iran hostage crisis.^[6]

1. ↑ "Islamic Revolution of 19794". Iran Chamber Society. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
2. ↑ Shepard, William E. (2014). Introducing Islam. Oxforshire, UK: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-53345-4. OCLC 852958212.
3. ↑ Abrahamian, Ervand (2018). A history of modern Iran (Second edition, revised and updated ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-19834-0. OCLC 1031429516.
4. ↑ Paparella, Giuseppe. "Impact Of Iranian Revolution On Islam". The Risky Shift. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
5. ↑ Razoux, Pierre. The Iran-Iraq War. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 21.44. ISBN 978-0-674-91570-1.
6. ↑ "The Hostage Crisis in Iran | Jimmy Carter Library". www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-01.