In fact, as one of the top ranking military officials in Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s regime, he was an important ally.
He was my grandfather.
Major Gen. Parviz Aminiafshar was commander of the Imperial Guards and head of G2 Military Intelligence. He was among the most senior officials in a military force which was a close ally of the U.S., protecting the country and the Shah.
That all changed on Feb. 21, 1979.
Iran’s 2,500-year-old monarchy was overthrown by an Islamic Revolution led by Shi’a cleric Ayatollah Khomeini, who forever changed the face of the Middle East and world politics. Prior to ’79, Khomeini had failed at overthrowing Iran’s monarchy; he was exiled to Najaf, Iraq.
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