Editing Iran (section)

=== The Shah’s Rule and the Islamic Revolution ===
Iran was ruled as an autocracy under the Shah with American support from that time until the revolution. Iran initiated a series of economic, social, agrarian and administrative reforms to modernize the country that became known as the Shah's [[White Revolution]].

The Iranian Revolution, also known as the Islamic Revolution,<ref name = "Chamber">{{Cite web|title=History of Iran: Islamic Revolution of 1979|url=https://www.iranchamber.com/history/islamic_revolution/islamic_revolution.php|access-date=2023-03-16|website=www.iranchamber.com}}</ref> was the revolution that transformed Iran from an absolute monarchy to an [[Islamic republic]] under [[Ayatollah]] [[Ruhollah Khomeini]], one of the leaders of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic.<ref>{{Cite web
|year=2018|orig-date=1998|title=The Iranian Revolution|url=http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch29ir.html|access-date=2023-03-16|last = Smitha | first = Frank E.
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010233759/http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch29ir.html |archive-date=2016-10-10
}}</ref> and concluded with the approval of the new [[theocratic]] Constitution—whereby Ayatollah Khomeini became [[Supreme Leader of Iran|Supreme Leader]] of the country—in December 1979.<ref name="Britannica Khomeini">{{Cite encyclopaedia
| url = https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruhollah-Khomeini
| title= Ruhollah Khomeini
| encyclopedia= Britannica
| last = Afari | first = Janet
| date= 19 May 2023
| access-date= 2023-05-21
}}</ref> Iran's rapidly modernising, capitalist economy was replaced by populist and Islamic economic and cultural policies. Much industry was [[nationalized]], laws and schools Islamicized, and Western influences banned.

[[File:Chemical weapon1.jpg|thumb|An Iranian soldier with gas mask during the Iran–Iraq War]]