How did Iran change under Ayatollah Khomeini?
1 Answer
It became an Islamic Republic
Explanation:
Khomeini was a sworn enemy of the USA which he called "The Great Satan" though he was helped in his rise to power by both the USA and Britain as the shah had decided to develop the atomic bomb. Using Khomeini as a stooge proved a very awkward since he turned his country against the USA and the West and the Iranian revolution triggered the second oil shock in 1979 and an hostage crisis(52 Americans were held in custody in the embassy and were freed only after Reagan became president)
The shah had a regime in which religion had limited influence, women were free to dress as they wanted for instance. His regime was based on repression since thousands were tortured and jailed without due of process of law but unlike Khomeini he did not believe strict religious laws should rule Iran.
The radical nature of this Shia Persian regime convinced his neighbor Hussein(who was then an ally of the USA) as an Arabic nationalist and Sunni leader whose regime was not strictly religious, to start a war with it in order to conquer its oil fields. The conflict lasted almost a decade and over a million people died. It enabled both the United States and Israel to strengthen their hold over the Middle East.
