Revolutionary Iran summary

In 1908, a British venture managed to identify the first commercially viable oil source in the Middle East – southwest Iran. Thanks to this knowledge, the British became the dominant foreign power in the country by 1920.

But not all was rosy. The British were also overstretched and had an eye on getting out. It was in this colonial climate that the British senior commander, General Ironside, promoted an Iranian soldier, Reza Khan, and gave him a brigade to lead. Ironside was clear: if Khan were to stage a military coup in Tehran, the British would let him do it. And in 1921, Khan did exactly that.

By the 1970s, Iran had undergone tremendous growth, in large part due to the booming oil industry. But cracks were beginning to show and inequality and corruption were endemic. The new Shah – Reza Shah’s son, Mohammad Reza Shah – was facing international pressure; his regime’s human-rights record was abysmal.

As a result, the regime began to relax its grip. And, consequently, this move away from repression created openings for political opposition.

In 1979, Iran was once more ripe for revolution. The previous year had been characterized by protests; demonstrators had railed against economic inequalities, political repression and the Shah's autocratic behavior.

The return of Ruhollah Khomeini to Iran, on February 1, 1979, indicated that change was imminent.

The fall of the Shah had happened relatively quickly, but the disorder that followed was to last for years. In particular, the few months after the revolution would define the very essence of the new Islamic Republic.

Many people were thrilled at the changes within the country, but the situation was nonetheless chaotic and strenuous.

In the post-revolution aftermath, Iran was still trying to find its footing. At the same time, there were other major challenges to be dealt with.

Neighboring Iraq sensed Iran’s weakness and invaded in 1980. An eight-year war followed. Meanwhile, internal struggles in Iran could not be quelled. Already by 1981, Khomeini was at serious odds with the Islamic Republic’s first president, Abolhassan Bani-Sadr. Bani-Sadr was stripped of his post and forced into hiding.

February 1989 marked the tenth anniversary of the 1979 revolution and Iran’s leader, Khomeini, was seriously ill. His grip on the country had been strong, and it was clear that his passing would usher in a new phase of the Islamic Republic.

Khomeini had been struggling with cancer and heart disease for some time, but his sudden deterioration required that a successor be found at once. What’s more, there were other serious matters to resolve. For instance, Iran had three leaders in positions of authority: a supreme leader, a president and a prime minister. it was an awfully crowded field and political factionalism only caused further gridlock.

Since the very foundation of the Islamic Republic, in 1979, conversations about political reform were common. But it wasn’t until the late 1990s that one particular ideology became increasingly influential.

A new religious movement was on the rise. Its reformist arguments held that, in the existing system, there was room for religion and politics to complement each other better.

Ahmadinejad’s election to president in 2005 came to be seen by many Iranians as a mistake.

Consequently, public support and enthusiasm coalesced around opposition candidate Mir Hosein Musavi. And it only grew as the 2009 presidential elections neared. But, in a shocking result, the incumbent Ahmadinejad was re-elected by a healthy margin on June 12, 2009.