Faced with an army mutiny and violent demonstrations against his rule, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was forced to flee Iran. Following Shah escape, Imam Khomeini extended his congratulation to the Iranian nation, saying it was a starting point for a great victory.
In 1941, British and Soviet troops occupied Iran, and the first Pahlavi shah, who they regarded with suspicion, was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza. The new shah promised to act as a constitutional monarch but often meddled in the elected government’s affairs.
In 1963, the shah launched his “White Revolution,” a broad government program that included land reform, infrastructure development, voting rights for women, and the reduction of illiteracy.
Imam Khomeini was critical of what he saw as the westernization of Iran. Ruhollah Khomeini, great religious authority, was particularly vocal in his criticism and called for the overthrow of the shah and the establishment of an Islamic system. In 1964, Khomeini was exiled and settled across the border in Iraq, where he sent radio messages to encourage his supporters for change and establish an Islamic-democratic system.
On September 8, 1978, the shah’s security force fired on a large group of demonstrators, killing hundreds and wounding thousands.
Two months later, thousands took to the streets of Tehran, rioting and destroying symbols of westernization. Imam Khomeini called for the shah’s immediate overthrow, and on December 11 a large group of soldiers mutinied and attacked the shah’s security officers. With that, his regime collapsed and the shah fled.