On 16 January 1979,
Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi left Iran amidst large protests from the general populace, entrusting
Shapour Bakhtiar with the position of
prime minister to establish a secular civilian administration. Khomeini, meanwhile, entered
Tehran from
France on 1 February 1979, after nearly 15 years in exile. By 11 February 1979, after ten days of an intense uprising led by Khomeini, the
Iranian Army announced that it would remain neutral in conflicts between revolutionaries and guardians of the government left in place by the Shah. Bakhtiar, rendered powerless, resigned the same day the army announced its decision, thus ending the Iranian monarchy. ==Original event==