The death of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, on August 25, 1970, marked the end of an era and the culmination of a turbulent period in Iranian history. The Shah’s passing was a momentous event not only for Iran but also for the broader international community, as the Shah had been a key figure in the Middle East and a strong ally of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel. The circumstances surrounding his death and the political and diplomatic responses that followed provide valuable insights into the geopolitics of the time and the deep connections between Iran and the West.
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who had been in power for more than 37 years, was diagnosed with advanced lymph node cancer during the final years of his reign. Despite various attempts at treatment, the Shah’s health deteriorated, and by 1970, his condition had become critical. His death in Ramadi Hospital in Cairo at the age of 61 was a blow to the Iranian monarchy, which had been rocked by numerous challenges in the years leading up to his passing. These challenges included growing discontent among the Iranian people, the rise of political opposition groups, and the increasing pressure on the Shah to enact reforms.
