The 1979 Islamic Revolution was partially fueled by widespread public anger against the endemic corruption and opulent lifestyle of the Pahlavi monarchy and its associated elites. The nascent Islamic Republic, under Ayatollah Khomeini, initially promised an ethical, uncorrupted, and just system, driven by Islamic principles. This revolutionary fervor, however, was quickly challenged by the realities of governance, an eight-year war with Iraq, and control over vast state resources, particularly oil wealth. The initial dedication to austerity among the revolutionary clergy gradually gave way to the temptations of state power and the opportunity to amass enormous wealth, creating a new class of "Aghazadeh" (noble-born or privileged offspring of officials).
