A monarchy with one of the region's strongest armies fell to an uprising it never crushed

Mass strikes and protests through 1978–79 paralyzed Iran's economy and government until the Shah fled the country and his military command stood down rather than fire on the uprising. Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile to establish an Islamic Republic, reshaping Middle Eastern politics for decades and ending 2,500 years of Persian monarchy.

— Nikki R. Keddie, Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution — Yale University Press, 2003 edition
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