-
Britain Extends Influence
Britain draws up a plan to extend its influence over all of Iran, which would effectively make it a British protectorate. The agreement rouses fierce opposition in Iran's Parliament, however, and it is never ratified. -
Shah Pahlavi abdicates throne
Pressure from Britain and the Soviets forces Shah Reza Pahlavi, who they see as sympathetic to the Nazi regime in Germany, to abdicate his throne. His son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, becomes shah. Allied forces are then able to occupy Iran and transport munitions to Russia to push back the Nazi advances. -
Nationalist PM Mossadeq begins reign
The day after the assassination of Iranian Premier Ali Razmara, who was sympathetic to the West, the new prime minister, Mohammad Mossadeq, submits to Iran's Parliament a plan to nationalize the country's oil assets. Throughout the next couple of years, Mossadeq moves to limit foreign interests in Iran and to limit the shah's powers. -
U.S.-backed coup ousts Mossadeq; reinstates shah
At the height of the Cold War, the Eisenhower administration approves a joint British-American operation to overthrow Mossadeq, worried that his nationalist aspirations will lead to an eventual communist takeover. The operation is code-named Operation Ajax. At first, the military coup seems to fail, and the shah flees the country. After widespread rioting -- and with help from the CIA and British intelligence services -- Mossadeq is defeated and the shah returns to power, ensuring support for We -
Khomeini exiled
Khomeini is exiled to Turkey for his outspoken denunciation of the shah's Status of Forces bill, which grants U.S. military personnel diplomatic immunity for crimes committed on Iranian soil. From Turkey, Khomeini moves to Iraq in 1965 and remains there until 1978. -
Pro-Khomeini demonstrations; revolution looms
In January, an article in an Iranian newspaper smears Khomeini, leading to the outbreak of violent demonstrations in Qom. The unrest spreads throughout the country. In September, in what is known now as Black Friday, government troops fire on demonstrators. Martial law is declared. Baghdad, under pressure from Tehran, forces Khomeini to leave, and he settles in Paris where he establishes an opposition movement in exile. The Islamic Revolutionary Council, an underground assembly, is formed in I -
The Iranian Revolution triumphs
In January, as civil rest increases, the shah and his family are forced into exile. On Feb. 1, Khomeini returns after nearly 15 years in exile and is given a triumphant welcome in Tehran. That same month, the shah's military announces its neutrality, and the monarchy collapses. With Mehdi Bazargan as prime minister, Khomeini takes power and proclaims the Islamic Republic of Iran in April. -
Shah enters U.S.; Embassy in Tehran seized
In October, over the objections of Iran's revolutionary government, the U.S. allows the shah to enter the country in order to obtain treatment for cancer. On November 4, militant students seize the compound of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, demanding that the U.S. send the shah back to Iran so that he can stand trial. Thus begins the crisis in which 52 Americans are held hostage for 444 days. U.S. President Jimmy Carter orders a complete embargo of Iranian oil, with tougher sanctions to follow. -
U.S. severs relations, attempts hostage rescue
In early April, U.S. President Jimmy Carter severs diplomatic relations with Iran after negotiations to free the hostages fail. He authorizes a top-secret mission, named Operation Eagle Claw, to free the hostages. The complicated mission is aborted after three of the eight helicopters to be used in the rescue suffer mechanical failure. Eight U.S. servicemen are killed when one of the helicopters collides with a refueling plane. -
Conflicting messages from Iran on U.S. strikes in Afghanistan
Supreme Leader Khamenei condemns the U.S. strikes on Afghanistan, saying they are part of America's goal to "expand their power and domination." Meanwhile, news reports surface that Iran has agreed to perform search-and-rescue missions for U.S. pilots who crash on Iranian soil during the military strikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan. -
Khamenei calls negotiations with the U.S. useless
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, denounces the U.S. and dismisses the idea of negotiations between the two countries, saying, "Negotiations will not solve any problem. Negotiations with America are beneficial to the American government." A report in Financial Times, however, indicates that reformist leaders continue to press for an opening up of relations, and that an internal debate persists over whether and how to engage the U.S.
