THE LAST SHAH — Part 7 — The Fall 1976–1979

History Onion · Part 7 The Fall · 2:58

> Identical across every part. **Copy the fenced block below verbatim** into the YouTube playlist description — no labels, no markdown, just the prose YouTube will render. ``` THE LAST SHAH — An eight-part biography of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1919–1980) In January 2026, protesters across Iran and the diaspora marched against the Islamic Republic — many of them carrying portraits of Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran. For younger Iranians, the Pahlavi era represents what they believe was lost: stability, ambition, a country open to the world. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi sat on the Peacock Throne for thirty-seven years. Under him, Iran industrialized faster than Taiwan and South Korea — F-14s above the Persian Gulf, women in universities, talk of a Great Civilization. He was also criticized for authoritarian rule and SAVAK, the feared secret police. In 1979 he lost it all. He died in exile the following year.