Iran Events From 1940

By brandonhockey50

  • Mohamed Takes the Throne

    The son of Reza Shah, Mohamed Shah takes his father's throne.

  • The USSR Withdraws

    After 5 years of war in Iran, USSR troops are withdrawn from Iran, giving them some independance.

  • Tudeh Banned

    The Tudeh Communist party is banned from Iran for attempting assassination against the Shah. The Shah's powers were greatly expanded because of this.

  • Mussadeq Overthrown

    Prime Minister Muhammad Mussadeq is overthown by the Iranian military, with help from the US and Britain. He was a prominent leader in the oil industry.

  • Nuclear Facilities Completed

    A nuclear reactor at Bushehr is finished, and raises concern for nuclear weapons. Iran leaders denied any accusations of this, and claimed it was for nuclear energy alternatives.

  • Khomeini Returns From Exile

    Islamic religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini returns from exile and takes power.

  • US Hostage Crisis

    Iranian students seize 63 hostages at US embassy in Tehran, demanding that the Shah is released from the US back to Iran

  • Iraq Ivades Iran

    Iran goes to war with Iraq after Iraq invades. Many countries offer Iraq support, but noone helped Iran

  • Hostages Released

    After 444 days in captivity, all US hostages are released.

  • US - Iran Arms Deals

    Despite a ban on selling arms to Iran, President Ronald Reagan sold weapons to Iran for money and the release of hostages. The arms deals were terminated in 1986.

  • Iran Jet Shot Down

    The USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian civilian airliner with 290 passengers on board, killing everyone, supposedly in error.

  • Khatami Elected President

    Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami is elected with plans to reduce tension between Iran and other countries. He also attempted to move to a democracy multiple times, but each time it was vetoed by the council.

  • Nuclear Program Watch

    In late 2003, Iran's nuclear program was put on watch by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

  • Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Elected President

    This causes many stricter policies and creation of nuclear facilities.

  • Iran Election Fraud

    Iran elections are held and the results are suspiciously in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's favor. Other candidates claimed it as a fraud, causing many riots.