Khomeini Assumes Power as Iran Monarchy Falls

Context

For decades, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had ruled Iran as shah with strong Western backing, pursuing rapid modernization through the White Revolution that redistributed land, expanded industry, and promoted Western cultural influences. These policies created economic strains including inflation and inequality, while political repression through censorship, surveillance, and the secret police alienated broad segments of society. Opposition grew among clergy, intellectuals, merchants, and urban migrants who found common cause in resisting the shah's autocracy and perceived subservience to foreign powers.

What Happened

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, exiled since 1964 for criticizing the shah, returned to Tehran on February 1, 1979, to enormous crowds after the shah departed Iran on January 16. Khomeini quickly appointed Mehdi Bazargan to head a provisional government that challenged the authority of Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar, the shah's last appointee. Tensions escalated as revolutionaries clashed with remaining loyalist forces amid widespread strikes and demonstrations. On February 11, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces met and issued a declaration of neutrality in the political crisis, ordering all military units back to their barracks. This decision removed the monarchy's final institutional support. Revolutionary groups then seized key government buildings, radio and television stations, and royal palaces across Tehran, while Bakhtiar went into hiding before fleeing the country.

Aftermath

With the military sidelined, Bakhtiar's government collapsed within hours, leaving Khomeini's provisional administration under Bazargan as the dominant authority. Khomeini moved to establish revolutionary committees and courts that began purging remnants of the old regime. A referendum in March 1979 approved the creation of an Islamic Republic, formalizing clerical oversight of the new state.

Legacy

The events of February 11, 1979, replaced Iran's monarchy with a theocratic system that prioritized Islamic governance and anti-Western policies, reshaping alliances across the Middle East and triggering decades of strained U.S.-Iran relations. The revolution inspired Islamist movements globally while establishing a model of clerical rule that continues to influence Iranian politics and regional conflicts.