The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was of great significance in Iran and the Middle East collectively. This revolution, led mainly by Ayatollah Ruhollan Khomeini, transformed Iran's political, social, economic, and legal structure. The shah would no longer rule, and the Islamic Republic of Iran was created. Secular laws were replaced by Islamic codes of law, and the elite under the shah were suddenly ousted. In the following text, the political situation in post-Revolutionary Iran will be explained, with an emphasis on the parties and individuals that were key players. Special attention will be paid to the Khomeini and his reforms and also to the Islamic Republican Party, which exploited their close association with Khomeini to gain popularity. .
The Iranian Revolution began in early 1978, coalescing around the charismatic personality of Khomeini. He had been educated at the Islamic seminary in Qum and later became an instructor there. He thought strongly that the both Reza Shah and his son wanted to create a secular society and decrease the influence of the ulama. Khomeini was arrested for accusing the shah of "introducing policies that were incompatible with the principles of Islam."" Despite this early arrest, Khomeini continued to vocally denounce the policies of regime, and after another arrest, was sent into exile. He remained politically active during his exile by holding lectures and sermons, which were recorded and smuggled into Iran. His former students helped to ensure that he would not be quickly forgotten, and he became the strongest voice for revolution and change in Iran. These former students of Khomeini's were quite prominent in the Iranian religious arena, and they would later help form the Islamic Republican Party. .
The revolution was realized after the secular descendants of the Constitutionalists and the National Front united with the masses of peasants and laborers who were inspired to political action by religious leaders.
