637. Revolution in Iran: Rise of the Ayatollah (Part 2)
The episode examines the final stages of the Iranian Revolution from November 1978 to August 1979, covering Ayatollah Khomeini's exile in Paris, the Shah's flight from Iran, Khomeini's triumphant return, and the parallel oil crisis devastating Jimmy Carter's presidency in America.
Summary
The episode begins with Ayatollah Khomeini's pivotal November 1978 message from Paris calling for uprising during the holy month of Muharram, which triggered the final phase of the Iranian Revolution. After being expelled from Iraq by Saddam Hussein in September 1978, Khomeini had moved to a small town outside Paris, where he became an international media sensation, giving 130 interviews while his advisors crafted messages that downplayed his radical Islamist agenda for Western audiences.
Meanwhile, the Shah faced impossible choices as demonstrations escalated. Despite his generals begging for permission to crack down violently, the Shah—weakened by leukemia—refused to authorize a massacre. His November 1978 apology to the Iranian people and promises of reform came too late. The Americans, led by President Carter, remained paralyzed by internal conflicts between Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, with Carter ultimately rejecting Ambassador Sullivan's recommendation to establish contact with Khomeini.
The revolution reached its climax during the Ashura demonstrations in December 1978, when a million protesters filled Tehran's streets. On January 19, 1979, the Shah fled Iran in an emotional departure, leaving behind his appointed Prime Minister Bakhtiar. Sixteen days later, Khomeini returned to Iran aboard an Air France flight to massive crowds estimated in the millions.
The episode also explores how the Iranian oil crisis devastated Carter's presidency, with oil prices tripling and causing severe gas shortages across America. Carter's response—including his infamous "malaise speech" lecturing Americans about spiritual crisis and materialism—further undermined his authority. The episode concludes with the symbolic low point of Carter's presidency: being "attacked" by a rabbit while fishing, which became a metaphor for his perceived weakness as revolutionary forces consolidated power in Iran and prepared to target the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Key Insights
- Khomeini strategically used Western media during his Paris exile, giving 130 interviews while his secular advisors crafted messages that downplayed his radical Islamic agenda for international audiences
- The concept of 'velayat-e-faqih' (guardianship of the jurist) represented a revolutionary theological innovation in Shiite Islam, proposing for the first time that clerics should directly govern rather than remain politically detached
- The Shah's refusal to authorize violent crackdowns against protesters, despite his generals' pleas, demonstrated the fatal combination of being both repressive and weak in revolutionary situations
- Carter's administration was paralyzed by institutional turf wars between Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, preventing coherent policy responses to the Iranian crisis
- Ambassador Sullivan's recommendation to establish diplomatic contact with Khomeini was rejected by Carter, who wrote 'nutty' in the margin of a translated Khomeini interview, representing a crucial missed opportunity
- The Iranian army's decision to remain neutral on February 11, 1979, rather than supporting either the Shah's remnant government or Khomeini, effectively sealed the revolution's success
- Oil prices tripled from $13 to $34 per barrel due to the Iranian revolution, creating severe gas shortages across America and devastating Carter's presidency through inflation and consumer anger
- Carter's 'malaise speech' in July 1979 represented an unprecedented moment in American politics where a president lectured citizens about spiritual crisis and excessive materialism rather than offering optimistic solutions
- The Iranian Revolution successfully blended Islamic fundamentalism with Iranian nationalism, particularly through its Shiite character that enabled both religious and patriotic appeals
- Khomeini's movement represented a unique coalition combining traditional bazaar merchants, rural migrants to cities, university students, and Shiite clerics—ingredients typical of 20th century revolutions plus the novel religious element
- The revolution established competing power centers with both Republican elements (elections, parliament) and theocratic authority (Islamic law, clerical oversight) that remain in tension today
- American conspiracy theories about oil shortages (blaming corrupt politicians, Arab oil sheiks, and bankers) paralleled Iranian conspiracy theories about American puppet-mastering, showing how crisis breeds paranoid explanations
Topics
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