Iranian Revolution

The 1979 Iranian Revolution, also known as the Islamic Revolution, in which a popular uprising overthrew the US-backed monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and established the Islamic Republic of Iran under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. It is a pivotal historical event often cited as a turning point in US-Middle East relations and Western perceptions of political Islam.

Claims that use this term

• US policymakers treated Islamist movements as allies before the Iranian Revolution.
• The American public first linked Islam with terrorism only after the Iranian Revolution.