Welcome to the first episode of the series Find out more about the Islamic Revolution of Iran, which will be presented to you in twenty-six episodes. This series studies the influence of Islamic Revolution on the theories about revolution within the framework of social sciences and international relations.

The 20^th Century can be dubbed as the Century of Revolutions. The first major revolution in that century was the Russian Revolution in the year 1917. Thereafter, revolutions of China, Cuba, Iran, and Nicaragua took place. However, without a shadow of a doubt, the most important and unique revolution of the 20^th Century was Iran's Islamic Revolution, culminating in the year 1979. Iran's Islamic Revolution uprooted a 2500-year monarchic system, and unfolded a scene for examination of the common theories in social sciences and international relations. In fact, Iran's Islamic Revolution did not just change the political, social, and economic structures, but also led to major developments in the foundations of social sciences and international relations, while acting as a role model for the other social movements in other countries and the freedom movements of Muslims, capturing the attention of theorists in the fields of social sciences and international relations.

The Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, throughout the sermons of the Friday Prayers on February 9, 1996, referred to the uniqueness of Iran's Islamic Revolution, noting that this revolution was different to other revolutions, which was embedded in the terms of emergence of Islamic Revolution and the motivation behind the popular movement.

Nearly forty years has passed since the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution. The Islamic Revolution is considered to be a unique and influential revolution in a number of aspects. One of the most important distinctions of Iran's Islamic Revolution in comparison to other major revolutions round the world is embedded in the terms of its emergence, and the elimination of the role of major powers. Global powers were the main guides of politics and power in Iran, in the recent 150 years. Global powers divided Iran upon conclusion of deals between themselves. The 1907 Treaty between England and Russia, divided Iran into three regions. The 1919 Treaty between Iran and England led to the supervision and control of English officials over all of Iran's financial and military establishments and led to grant of concessions to the English officials in the domain of railways and roads. This deal once again placed Iran under the domination of a Western power. In the meantime, Western powers' interferences in Iran's internal affairs reached their peak in the 1953 Coup in Iran, which was plotted and guided by the US and Britain, toppling the legal government of the then Iranian premier, Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq. In the aftermath of this coup, the US became the most important and effective actor in Iran, controlling all of Iran's national affairs. The US administration, with its unwavering support for Shah's despotic regime, and imposition of laws such as Capitulation, was the mastermind behind Iran's policies, while fulfilling its materialistic interests via handling Iran's oil revenues.

The last US ambassador to Iran, William Healy Sullivan, in his book: "Mission to Iran", referred to US presence in Iran, noting: In regard to Iran-US relations, I was preoccupied with two topics. First, there was the terms of US activities in Iran and the general plan to sell military tools and equipment to Iran. the US military delegation to Iran began its activities while the US general policy was the unlimited sale of weapons and military equipment to Iran in the early 1970s. In those days, the then Iranian officials ordered weapons based on their consultations with American missionaries. Furthermore, these weapons were purchased from the US, with the rising oil revenues in Iran.

Ervand Abrahamian in his book: "Iran Between Two Revolutions", refers to relations of Iran with the US throughout the suppressive rule of Pahlavi regime; as especial relations. The French Revolution in 1789 and the Russian Revolution in the year 1917 took place while the regimes of these two countries were vulnerable. However, Shah's despotic regime was strongly supported by the global powers, especially the US. Nonetheless, Iran's Islamic Revolution achieved victory in February 1979.

Under these conditions, Iran's Islamic Revolution took place despite the unwavering support of global powers for Iran's monarchic system, and the opposition of Western and Eastern blocs to Iran's Islamic Revolution. Despite the domination of the world by Western and Eastern blocs, led by the US and former Soviet Union, and despite the political, economic, ideological, and even military domination of these two powers over all regional and international events, Iran's revolutionary figures demanded the independence of Iran from Western and Eastern blocs in their foreign policy. In this manner, achievement of Iran's independence turned into one of the pivotal mottos of the Islamic Revolution, given that the Islamic Revolution, in itself, was an independent phenomenon. The demand of Islamic Revolution for independence of Iran is one of the root causes of the continuation and intensification of the enmity of Western powers, especially the US, against Islamic Republic of Iran. Independence, while Iran maintains a unique geopolitical and geostrategic status in the world, is one of the most important aspects of Iran's difference in the pre- and post-revolution eras.

One of the other differences of Iran's Islamic Revolution with other major revolutions in the world is related to the leadership of the Islamic Revolution by clerics. The leadership of the Islamic Revolution by the Founder of Islamic Republic of Iran, late Imam Khomeini (May his soul rest in peace), was an important factor in the victory of Islamic Revolution in Iran. The Father of Islamic Revolution was a charismatic figure, who was also a Source of Emulation. So, in addition to being a unique political figure, late Imam was also a religious and moralistic figure.

One of the most important differences of Iran's Islamic Revolution with other major revolutions in the world was that the Islamic Revolution introduced a new form of ruling system to the world. Prior to victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution, the world had been transformed into the Western and Eastern blocs and two forms of ruling system namely liberal democracy and communism, with the two global powers of the US and former Soviet Union, leading these two blocs, while other countries were under the authority of these two blocs. Even the establishment of Non-Aligned Movement did not result in Non-Aligned Movement member states, pulling out of the Western and Eastern blocs. Prior to victory of Islamic Revolution, Iran was within the Western bloc, led by the US. Victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution completely changed these conditions and introduced a new form of ruling system which was the Islamic Republic.

MR/ME