The Rise and Fall of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi: How the Last Monarch of Iran Shaped a Nation Amidst Modernization and Turmoil

However, the Shah's dependence on the West created a backlash. Many Iranians perceived his regime as a puppet of foreign powers, particularly in the wake of the 1953 coup that reinstated him to the throne after he had momentarily fled. This event deepened anti-Western sentiments among many Iranians and set the stage for future discontent.