---
born: 1919-10-26
category: Other
died: 1980-07-27
location: Tehran, Iran
summary: Under the Shah, Iran maintained good relations with 'moderate pro-American
  Arab countries' such as Egypt, Jordan, and the Emirates.
tags:
- Person
---

[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi](/people/mohammad-reza-pahlavi/), also known as the Shah of [Iran](/places/iran/), ruled for nearly 40 years. His departure from [Iran](/places/iran/) on January 16, 1979, marked a tumultuous upheaval in the Middle East and led to a new threat to [Israel's](/places/israel/) existence.[^1]

Under the [Shah](/people/mohammad-reza-pahlavi/), [Iran](/places/iran/) maintained good relations with "moderate pro-[American](/places/united-states/) Arab countries" such as [Egypt](/places/egypt/), [Jordan](/places/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](/places/tehran/) was also unable to handle the traffic, leading to public frustration.[^1]

[Israeli](/places/israel/) intelligence, particularly [Ari Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/), warned of an impending revolution and the [Shah's](/people/mohammad-reza-pahlavi/) imminent overthrow as early as 1978. These warnings were dismissed by [U.S.](/places/united-states/) analysts, who misread the threat to his rule. In December 1978, the [CIA](/organizations/central-intelligence-agency/) and [SAVAK](/organizations/savak/) (Iranian secret police) enlisted [Israeli](/places/israel/) aid in a plan to assassinate [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini](/people/ayatollah-ruhollah-khomeini/), but the [Shah](/people/mohammad-reza-pahlavi/) rejected it, fearing further bloodshed.[^1]

After his departure, the [Shah](/people/mohammad-reza-pahlavi/)'s Regency and Supreme Military Councils were unable to function, and [Shahpour Bakhtiar](/people/shahpour-bakhtiar/), his last prime minister, proved helpless. [Khomeini](/people/ayatollah-ruhollah-khomeini/) arrived in [Iran](/places/iran/) on February 1, 1979, and declared [Iran](/places/iran/) an Islamic republic on April 1. The [Israeli](/places/israel/) Embassy in [Tehran](/places/tehran/) was subsequently handed over to the [PLO](/organizations/palestine-liberation-organization/).[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.