Pahlavi returned to Lubbock shortly after his visit to Austin, where he stayed with his family briefly during the persian coup. Roughly four months later, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was deposed and fled for Egypt, where he later died in 1980. Reza Pahlavi was slated to serve in the Imperial Air Force after completing his training, reflecting the Shah’s desire to involve him directly in national defense and leadership.
The 1979 Revolution disrupted these plans. Reza Pahlavi left before fully joining the Air Force. His departure and the fall of the monarchy meant that he never officially served in the Iranian Air Force, although his training and ambitions were well underway. Reza Pahlavi’s Air Force training is often cited as part of his leadership preparation, combining military discipline with education in political science.
