Khomeini's short-term residence in Tehran

As President Jimmy Carter himself admitted, his administration did not fully grasp the internal political dynamics of Iran leading up to the 1979 Revolution. The US had long supported the oppressive regime of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini. Carter's administration was caught off guard by the rapid collapse of the Shah's regime and the rise of Khomeini. The US embassy in Tehran was famously besieged by Iranian students,