Under huge amounts of political pressure, and suffering from cancer, the Shah left Iran on January 16, 1979, and on February 1 Khomeini arrived at the airport in Tehran where an estimated "three million people lined the streets" to welcome the religious leader, DeFronzo continued. Shortly, the Iranian military pledged loyalty to Khomeini

The debate over what form of government would replace the Shah's fascist state did not last very long, as Khomeini selected a group of clergy to form the "Islamic Revolutionary Council" -- overseeing policy until a referendum could be held. In the end, the fundamentalists held sway over the wording of the Islamic constitution, and Khomeini was securely in power (DeFronzo, 321).

That sense of enthusiasm from the revolution that tossed the Shah out of the country continued on November 4, 1979, as over four hundred "young militants stormed the [U.S.] embassy and managed to confiscate quickly...
[ View Full Essay]