Inside The Iranian Revolution, 40 Years Later

It happened 40 years ago, but historians and analysts still discuss how and why it took place.

The Iranian Revolution sent shock waves across the world and changed the geopolitical balance of one of the world's most turbulent regions completely: the Middle East. Its consequences are still very much felt today. 

So what exactly happened in 1979? How did the almighty Sha fall? How did the Iranian people manage to overthrow the head of a totalitarian regime supported by the United States?

The BBC is broadcasting a podcast series drama based on the events that led to the revolution. In Fall of the Sha, with actress Diana Rigg as narrator, they recreate the key moments of the crisis that ended up with the Ayatollahs in power.

Out of the four episodes released so far, the second one is particularly interesting. In it we can see the different ideologies of the people that took to the streets and the brutal response of the Sha's security forces.

Even though we all know how it ended, there's nothing inevitable about history, and the many brave women and men who protested hand in hand could have perfectly achieved the justice and equality they were looking for.

Iran polarises every conversation about world politics. Since the Trump administration brought down the Obama deal and the European Union failed (once again) to come up with a strong, united stance of its own, Iran is back in the axis of evil. The policies of the Tehran government, making it very difficult for foreign journalists to report from the country, don't help much in that regard either. Therefore, Iran and its society have become a sort of enigma for the rest of the world. 

In this context, it's very easy to spread misinformation and present a bizarre, cruel cult as a legitimate opposition force. The more the public knows about Iran, its different realities and the events that shaped its current theocracy, the better it'll be for the entire world.