ABSTRACT
Iran's challenges could be summed up in one word: modernity. Although the first encounter with modern Europe was under the Safavid dynasty in the 17th century, it is the Russo–Iranian wars of the early 19th century that revealed the gap between Iran and the modern world. Reza Shah's powerful central government provided nation-wide security and took steps towards modernizing Iranian society. The Islamists used the occasion to rid themselves of their partners in power. This is really the moment when the Islamic Republic became Islamic. The Islamic Republic of Iran leaders only let dropped the US hostage crisis when they had a new and better crisis on which to focus their attention—the war with Iraq. The causes of the 1979 Revolution have been discussed by many and the ranges of explanations cover a wide variety of factors. It is reasonable to argue that it was not due to poverty, be it absolute or relative.
