The 1979 Iranian Revolution - in pictures

  • A portrait of the Shah of Iran is carried through the streets of Tehran by followers of the monarch, as he makes his return to the capital after a brief exile, in August 1953. Photo: Bettmann Archive
    A portrait of the Shah of Iran is carried through the streets of Tehran by followers of the monarch, as he makes his return to the capital after a brief exile, in August 1953. Photo: Bettmann Archive
  • Thousands protest against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in Tehran, on October 9, 1978. AP Photo
    Thousands protest against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in Tehran, on October 9, 1978. AP Photo
  • Troops loyal to Shah Mohammad arrive to control demonstrators outside a burning government building, at the height of Islamic revolutionary fervour in Tehran, on November 4, 1978. Getty Images
    Troops loyal to Shah Mohammad arrive to control demonstrators outside a burning government building, at the height of Islamic revolutionary fervour in Tehran, on November 4, 1978. Getty Images
  • Demonstrators carry a photo of Ayatollah Khomeini during a demonstration against the monarch.
    Demonstrators carry a photo of Ayatollah Khomeini during a demonstration against the monarch.
  • Women demonstrators, among them a young girl wearing a black chador (traditional Iranian cloak), sit under a banner with a photo of Ayatollah Khomeini in Revolution Square, on December 11, 1978. Getty Images
    Women demonstrators, among them a young girl wearing a black chador (traditional Iranian cloak), sit under a banner with a photo of Ayatollah Khomeini in Revolution Square, on December 11, 1978. Getty Images
  • Demonstrators in Tehran call for the overthrow of Shah Mohammad, on January 1, 1979. Getty Images
    Demonstrators in Tehran call for the overthrow of Shah Mohammad, on January 1, 1979. Getty Images
  • A protester shakes her fist during demonstrations calling for the Shah of Iran to be unseated, on January 1, 1979. Getty Images
    A protester shakes her fist during demonstrations calling for the Shah of Iran to be unseated, on January 1, 1979. Getty Images
  • Shah Mohammad and Empress Farah walk to board a plane to leave Iran on January 16, 1979. AP
    Shah Mohammad and Empress Farah walk to board a plane to leave Iran on January 16, 1979. AP
  • Chador-clad women stand in front of a 'Shah ran' slogan sprayed on a street sign in Tehran a few days after the Shah fled the country, on January 19, 1979. Getty Images
    Chador-clad women stand in front of a 'Shah ran' slogan sprayed on a street sign in Tehran a few days after the Shah fled the country, on January 19, 1979. Getty Images
  • Ayatollah Khomeini speaks to followers at Behesht Zahra Cemetery after his arrival in Tehran, Iran, ending 14 years of exile, on February 1, 1979. AP Photo
    Ayatollah Khomeini speaks to followers at Behesht Zahra Cemetery after his arrival in Tehran, Iran, ending 14 years of exile, on February 1, 1979. AP Photo