Developed over decades, Iran’s strategy to arm its proxies to the teeth now threatens Israel with encirclement
Tehran, February 1979. The streets are flooded with protestors chanting “Marg bar Shah” — Death to the Shah. The air is ripe with anticipation. After decades of rule by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran is on the brink of revolution. But this won’t be just another change of government — it’s the birth of a new political order, one that will upend the regional balance of power and send shockwaves around the world.
An Air France plane lands at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport carrying the revolution’s symbol, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, returning after 15 years of exile. Khomeini, 79, descends from the plane to roaring crowds, his expression hardened — he knows this is the dawn of a new era.
Within days, the old regime collapses, and the Ayatollah declares the birth of the Islamic Republic of Iran. But Khomeini isn’t content with domestic reform — he promises to spread the Islamic revolution beyond the borders of Iran, throughout the Muslim world and beyond.
It’s at this moment that the seeds of Iran’s axis of evil are sown. Khomeini outlines a vision of a united Muslim world under Iranian Shiite leadership. He declares the United States the “Great Satan” and Israel the “Little Satan,” vowing to eradicate their influence in the Middle East and beyond.
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