[[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]], also known as the Shah of [[Iran]], ruled for nearly 40 years. His departure from [[Iran]] on January 16, 1979, marked a tumultuous upheaval in the [[Middle East]] and led to a new threat to [[Israel|Israel's]] existence.[^1] Under the [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah]], [[Iran]] maintained good relations with "moderate pro-[[USA|American]] Arab countries" such as [[Egypt]], [[Jordan]], and the [[Emirates]]. However, by 1978, his rule was threatened by widespread discontent due to extreme corruption, skyrocketing prices, and the failure of his White Revolution to address food production issues. The infrastructure of [[Tehran]] was also unable to handle the traffic, leading to public frustration.[^1] [[Israel|Israeli]] intelligence, particularly [[Ari Ben-Menashe]], warned of an impending revolution and the [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah's]] imminent overthrow as early as 1978. These warnings were dismissed by [[USA|U.S.]] analysts, who misread the threat to his rule. In December 1978, the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and [[SAVAK]] (Iranian secret police) enlisted [[Israel|Israeli]] aid in a plan to assassinate [[Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini]], but the [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah]] rejected it, fearing further bloodshed.[^1] After his departure, the [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah]]'s Regency and Supreme Military Councils were unable to function, and [[Shahpour Bakhtiar]], his last prime minister, proved helpless. [[Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini|Khomeini]] arrived in [[Iran]] on February 1, 1979, and declared [[Iran]] an Islamic republic on April 1. The [[Israel|Israeli]] Embassy in [[Tehran]] was subsequently handed over to the [[Palestine Liberation Organization|PLO]].[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")