On 16 January 1979, the Shah of Iran and his wife, Farah Pahlavi, left Iran for the last time. There had been increasingly violent protests against Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's regime.

Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran on 1 February after 14 years of exile. Following a referendum, he declared an Islamic Republic on 1 April 1979.

In 1985, social scientist Rouhi Shafi, also left Iran and chose London as her home.

Lucy Williamson spoke to both women in 2010.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

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(Photo: Official portrait of Empress Farah Pahlavi from 1979. Credit: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

In exile from Iran

Witness History