Khomeini's Long Shadow: 30 Years After the Iran Hostage Crisis

As the Shah gained power, Khomeini increased his activism against the Shah's rule
Bruno Barbey / Magnum

Exile
As the Shah gained power, Khomeini increased his activism. By 1964, he had grown into such a threat that he was arrested and exiled, first to Turkey, then to An Najaf, Iraq, a town not far from the Iranian border. From there, he maintained contact with his supporters inside Iran until, under pressure from the Shah, Iraq expelled him and he flew to France, where he was permitted to establish a headquarters in a small village near Paris, above.