Miscellaneous Articles

Overthrow of the monarchical system and triumph of the Islamic revolution

On 19 Bahman 1357, Air Force personnel swore allegiance to the Imam at his residence (the Alavi School in Tehran). Shah's army was on the verge of total collapse. Many faithful soldiers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) had already deserted their military bases by the decree of Imam Khomeini, and had joined the people's ranks. On 20 Bahman, the "Homafaran" rose up at the most important air base in Tehran. Royal Guard was dispatched to suppress them.

The people entered the arena in support of the revolutionary forces. On 21 Bahman, police stations and government centers fell into the hands of the people, one after another.

The Tehran Martial Law Commander, extended the curfew hours to begin at 4 P.M. Bakhtiar called a Security Council meeting, and issued the order of the coup d'etat, arranged by Huyser to take place. Meanwhile, Imam Khomeini, in a message, asked the people of Tehran to dash into the streets, to prevent the conspiracy that was about to take place, and to actually cancel the martial law. A flood of men, and women, young and old poured into the streets and began to build bunkers. The people disbanded the first row of tanks and detachments of motorized brigade as soon as they moved from their bases. The coup d'etat was nipped in the bud. And so, the last stronghold of resistance of the Shah's regime was broken up, and at dawn of 22 Bahman, the radiating sun of victory of Imam Khomeini's movement and the Islamic Revolution dawned and the end of the long-standing system of oppressive monarchy was declared.