The 1953 Iranian coup was an U.S. and British-instigated, Iranian army-led overthrow of the elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in favor of strengthening the monarchical rule of the shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, on 19 August 1953.
Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, commonly referred to as “the Shah,” governed Iran from 1953 through 1979 as a secular and authoritarian rule. His government grew increasingly pro-Western as it sought to modernize the country and burnish its international image – however, as the Shah’s relationship with the U.S. strengthened and his international profile grew, many of his own people grew displeased with his leadership. In 1978, riots and demonstrations broke out across the country, and by 1979 these protests increased in frequency, power, and violence. Of particular concern to the protestors were two things they perceived to be linked: the Shah’s lack of emphasis on religious values and his government’s close relationship with the U.S. Iranians were concerned that another country, rather than his own people and their values, were a priority.
On January 16, 1979, the shah left the country, and Khomeini assumed control. Although the shah did not abdicate, a referendum resulted in the declaration on April 1, 1979, of an Islamic republic in Iran.