Iranian Revolution

1978-01-07 - 1979-02-11

In 1979, mass protests and strikes toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ending Iran's monarchy. The Islamic Republic of Iran was established under the leadership of the exiled cleric Ruhollah Khomeini, who returned to Iran and became supreme leader. The revolution ended more than two millennia of Iranian monarchy and reshaped the country's politics and its relations with the West.