Islamic Revolution

The Islamic Revolution occurred in 1979, in the Muslim majority country of Iran. Islamist revolutionaries opposed the western secular policies of the authoritarian Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.

Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini organized protests in opposition to the authoritarian government of the Shah. Khomeini became the new Leader of Iran. 98.2% of the Iranian voters voted "yes" in a referendum for the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran under the Leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini (also known as Imam Khomeini). It replaced an authoritarian monarchy with a theocratic republic. The West claims the republic is authoritarian.

Shortly after the revolution, Iraq under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein invaded Iran producing a war that ended in 1988 with neither side getting anything. The war is known as the Iran-Iraq War.

Impact of the revolution

Many Iranians were forced into exile during the revolution.

Estimates of the number of Iranians who died during the war with Iraq and the riots with the Shah's forces vary from 3,000 to 60,000. The number executed by order of the Revolutionary Courts is often estimated at 8,000.

During the revolution, 52 Americans were held hostage after being seized at US Embassy.