A Brief History of Modern Iran

 

A Brief History of Modern Iran

Courtesy: Sahil Sharifdin Bhat 

Introduction

Iran, one of the world’s oldest civilisations, has gone through many changes in the last hundred years. These changes have shaped its politics, religion and relationships with other countries, especially the United States and Israel. This is a short and honest overview of the main events in Iran's modern history.

 During World War II

At the time of World War II, Iran’s king supported Hitler. This angered the British, who invaded Iran. After the war, the British forced the king to step down and replaced him with his 22-year-old son, Reza Shah Pahlavi. He was seen as a loyal ally of the West. 

Note: In August 1941, British and Soviet forces invaded Iran from multiple directions, with the UK coming from Iraq and the Soviet Union from the north. The invasion led to the abdication of Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was seen as sympathetic to Germany, and the installation of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, as the new Shah. Iran was then occupied by the Allied powers until after the war. 

 Westernisation and Opposition

The new Shah admired Western culture. He banned the hijab, closed religious schools and mosques, arrested Islamic scholars and promoted music, parties and alcohol. Iran even began to export alcohol.

This upset many religious people. One of them was Ayatollah Khomeini, a respected Islamic scholar. He strongly opposed the Shah’s actions. As his support grew, the Shah had him arrested and exiled to Iraq.

Khomeini’s Message from Exile

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was exiled from Iran in 1964 due to his opposition to the Shah’s pro-Western policies. He first lived in Turkey for about one year, then moved to the holy city of Najaf in Iraq, where he stayed for nearly 13 years. In 1978, under pressure from the Shah, the Iraqi government expelled him. He then went to France, settling in Neauphle-le-Château near Paris. From there, Khomeini continued to send messages and speeches to Iran, inspiring revolution. After 14 years in exile, he returned to Iran in 1979, where he led the Islamic Revolution and became Supreme Leader.

While living in Iraq, Khomeini recorded speeches on cassette tapes. These were secretly sent into Iran. Many people began to support him more than the Shah.

Meanwhile, the Shah organised a very expensive celebration to remember the old Persian Empire. He sat on a golden throne while many people in Iran were living in poverty. This made the public angrier and Khomeini more popular.

Khomeini called the Shah “the Yazid of our time,” comparing him to a hated figure in Islamic history. The Shah tried to get support from the United States and other countries but was told no one could save him from Khomeini’s rising power. The Shah finally fled the country.

Islamic Revolution and New Government

Khomeini returned to Iran after 14 years in exile. Around 7 million people welcomed him. Soon, slogans like “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” were heard across the country.

Khomeini’s followers took over the US Embassy in Tehran and held 50 American staff as hostages. Khomeini demanded that the US return the Shah in exchange for their release. This began a long period of tension between Iran and the US.

Iran-Iraq War

Iraq’s leader Saddam Hussein, with support from the US and Arab states, attacked Iran to stop Khomeini’s influence. This led to a brutal war that lasted eight years.

 Holy Death of Khomeini

After the war, the supreme leader of Iran, Khomeini passed away. Over 10 million people attended his funeral, one of the largest in history. His student, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, became the new Supreme Leader.

 Iran’s Nuclear Plans

After the war, Iran’s leaders believed the US and Israel would never stop threatening them unless Iran had its own atomic bomb. Pakistan, which had already built a bomb, allegedly secretly gave Iran technology to help.

When the US found out, it imposed heavy sanctions on Iran in 2009. These sanctions damaged Iran’s economy badly.

 The Nuclear Deal and Its Collapse

In response to the crisis, Iran signed a nuclear deal with the US during Barack Obama’s presidency. Iran agreed not to make nuclear weapons in return for the lifting of sanctions.

However, when Donald Trump became president, he pulled the US out of the deal and put the sanctions back. Iran then restarted its nuclear programme.

 Soleimani's Killing and Raisi's Presidency

Trump later ordered a drone strike that killed General Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian military leader.

After that, Ebrahim Raisi became president. He was a hardliner who refused to talk to the US and supported armed groups fighting against Israel.

Raisi later died in a helicopter crash (probably assassinated by Israel). A year after his death, a new, softer president was elected. He promised that Iran would never build a nuclear bomb and said he was ready to talk to the US and the world.

 Present-Day Tensions

Secret talks between Iran and the US have quietly started again. But Israel has been trying to stop them. It often accuses Iran of building a bomb or trying to kill Donald Trump. Israel has also been carrying out attacks inside Iran, targeting those who support peace talks with the US. Some believe Israel wants Iran to make a mistake so the US will invade and destroy Iran’s government.

June 2025? 

In mid‑June, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a massive strike beginning on June 13 that combined Mossad-led drone sabotage inside Iran with about 200 Israeli jets attacking over 100 Iranian sites—including nuclear, missile, and military installations. Iran responded strongly with Operation True Promise III, firing thousands of ballistic missiles and countless drones at Israel. Most were intercepted by Israel’s multi‑layer air‑defences, though a huge number of them caused civilian casualties and damage in cities like Bat Yam, Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Haifa. The exchange marked a sharp escalation in Iran–Israel tensions, with regional diplomacy intensifying amid fears of a wider war. This response from Iran shocked the world as much as it did Israel. 

Final Thought

Iran’s modern history is full of foreign interference, internal struggle and strong leadership. It continues to face pressure from powerful countries but remains firm in defending its choices. Its future depends on how it balances its values, its survival and its place in the world. 

------------------------------------------