He cited “democratization” and a “dramatic increase” in average per capita income from $60 a year at the beginning of his reign to $2,540 a year when he left. Just over a year after the Shah’s death, tragedy struck again. On October 6, 1981, President Anwar Sadat was assassinated during a military parade in Cairo. For Farah Pahlavi, the loss was devastating. Sadat had been not only her husband’s most loyal ally but also her protector and friend.
In later interviews, Farah recalled that she felt as though she had lost “a second home” with Sadat’s death. She attended memorial events for him and maintained a close relationship with Jehan Sadat for decades afterward. Their bond was rooted in mutual respect and shared suffering—the loneliness of exile, widowhood, and the weight of history upon their shoulders.
