Uploaded June 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Go to NBCUniversalArchives.com to license any portion of this video.
As Iranians head to the voting stations to choose their next president, we take this moment to remember how the young theocratic democracy began in the first place. Through the lens of our Nightly News and TODAY journalists, we see how the country's politics were completely transformed in less than a year -- from Ayatollah Khomeini's return from exile and the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, to the successful elections that brought a new constitution and the country's first president. While these developments may have been overshadowed by the Iran Hostage Crisis in the United States, they nevertheless brought an extraordinary sea change in the political landscape of the Middle East.
Contact us or explore our website to find more groundbreaking international coverage.
Like Us on Facebook.com/NBCUArchives
Follow us on Twitter.com/NBCUArchives
Go to NBCUniversalArchives.com to license any portion of this video.
As Iranians head to the voting stations to choose their next president, we take this moment to remember how the young theocratic democracy began in the first place. Through the lens of our Nightly News and TODAY journalists, we see how the country's politics were completely transformed in less than a year -- from Ayatollah Khomeini's return from exile and the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, to the successful elections that brought a new constitution and the country's first president. While these developments may have been overshadowed by the Iran Hostage Crisis in the United States, they nevertheless brought an extraordinary sea change in the political landscape of the Middle East.
Contact us or explore our website to find more groundbreaking international coverage.
Like Us on Facebook.com/NBCUArchives
Follow us on Twitter.com/NBCUArchives
