The Lion and The Sun: A Modern History of Iran

In 1944, Reza Shah died alone.

Banished from his homeland and despised by his people.

But even his most bitter critics couldn’t deny one thing:

He was the architect of a new Iran.
The creator of a modern empire.

Season three of The Lion and the Sun Podcast will start airing next week. While you can enjoy this season on its own, having some background never hurts.

If you have the time and want the full picture, start with book one and follow the story through to book three; but if you’re short on time, the season two recap will get you up to speed. (and the season one recap doesn’t hurt either!)

The Lion and the Sun is a podcast about the modern history of Iran. It’s a story of how Iran ended up where it is now and how religion, monarchy, democracy, and nationalism shaped the lives of its people across the 20th century.

Book One: Qajar
How the constitutional revolution created Iran’s very first parliament (Majlis). This season follows the story of the fading Qajar monarchy, as unrest, foreign meddling, and political betrayal set the stage for Reza Khan’s rise to power.

Book Two: Reza Shah
The rise and fall of Reza Shah, the architect of modern Iran. Season Two chronicles the meteoric rise of Reza Khan from a simple soldier to the founding Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty, his radical transformation of Iran into a modern state, and his ultimate downfall.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok or X (Twitter).
For early access to episodes, become a supporter on Patreon.

The post Book Two Recap appeared first on The Lion and The Sun Podcast.

Kermit Roosevelt was on a mission that night.

To overthrow Iran’s prime minister and take back control of its oil.

Listen to new chapters from January 28th 2026.

In book three of The Lion and the Sun, we look at how Iran’s bid to nationalize its oil pulled the CIA into Iranian politics and set the stage for a covert operation that removed its democratically elected leader.

A coup that became a model for American interventions for decades and reshaped Iran’s relationship with the United States forever.

This season, we’re talking about Iran’s oil, the life of Mohammad Mosaddegh and his ultimate clash with the US and Britain

Catch up with Iran’s story from the beginning:

Book One: Qajar
Iran’s constitutional revolution and the birth of its first parliament. This season traces the final years of the Qajar monarchy, as unrest, foreign interference, and political betrayal pave the way for Reza Khan’s rise.

Book Two: Reza Shah
The making of modern Iran … and the cost of building it. Follow Reza Khan’s ascent from soldier to shah, his sweeping reforms, and the downfall that ended his rule

You can listen to us on all podcast platforms and read the transcripts on our site.

The post Book Three Trailer appeared first on The Lion and The Sun Podcast.

Our podcast is a Finalist in the 2025 Signal Awards in the History category!

Vote for the listener’s choice award here.

This is a special episode of The Lion and the Sun to celebrate our nomination:

As Iran crowns a new king, Reza Shah is forced into exile.
Stripped of power and family, the fallen monarch begins his final chapter in isolation.

Thank you so much for your support and for listening to our show.

We’ll be back in November 2025 with season 3!

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok or X (Twitter).
For early access to episodes, become a supporter on Patreon.

Episode Summary

Reza Shah’s abdication represented his entire reign in a nutshell:
Straightforward, without any fluff and to the point

On September 16, 1941, with Allied forces closing in and no path left, he signed the letter of resignation drafted by his prime minister, ending his sixteen-year reign. What followed was humiliation. The ex-king’s family was split: his wife and heir stayed behind while others were forced to join him. His vast properties, amassed through intimidation and seizures, were stripped away. His belongings were searched as if he were a common thief, and he was escorted out of Iran, never to return.

Believing he might find peace in South America, he instead became a pawn of British plans, first confined to Mauritius in suffocating isolation, then moved to South Africa. There he found brief fascination with Johannesburg’s modern life but soon withdrew into solitude. Friends and family drifted away, his health collapsed, and he became a shadow of the man who once commanded armies. By July 1944, he died alone in Johannesburg, little more than a mystery to his neighbors.

Even in death, his journey continued. His body was carried to Cairo for temporary burial, then six years later returned to Iran to rest in a mausoleum built in his honor at Shahr-e Ray. For decades it stood as a monument to the dynasty he founded, visited by dignitaries and hailed as the tomb of a nation-builder. But the revolution of 1979 erased it in rubble, branding him an enemy of faith and people.

Music:

Roie Shpigler – Random Symmetries

Veaceslav Draganov – Neanderthal

Scott Buckley – Adrift Among Infinite Stars

Yehezkel Raz – Ballerina

Franz Schubert – Ständchen, D 889

Frédéric Chopin – Marche funèbre (Funeral March), from Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35

The post Book Two – Special Episode: Exiled King appeared first on The Lion and The Sun Podcast.

In the season two finale, Britain and the Soviet Union invade Iran in hopes of a regime change …

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Sources for this episode.

Episode Summary

On August 25, 1941, Iran faced a coordinated invasion by British and Soviet forces. The military, unprepared for such an assault, collapsed swiftly. Naval, air, and ground forces were overrun. Reza Shah, who had built Iran’s military for internal control rather than full-scale war, found his efforts insufficient.

Public anger, instead of uniting against the foreign invaders, turned inward and against Reza Shah. Years of autocratic rule, suppression of dissent, and secular reforms had alienated the population. As Allied forces advanced and internal order crumbled, Reza Shah reached out to Mohammad Ali Foroughi, a former prime minister he had once imprisoned, asking him to return and negotiate a solution.

Foroughi engaged the British and Soviets in talks and realized that the Allies demanded not just Reza Shah abdication, but potentially the end of the Pahlavi dynasty. Foroughi resisted proposals to restore the Qajar dynasty or establish a republic, instead proposing a transfer of power to the crown prince, Mohammad Reza.

With the Allies imposing a deadline of September 17, Reza Shah agreed to abdicate on September 16. He declared war on Germany, aligning Iran with the Allied powers.

The day after Reza Shah abdication, Foroughi swore in Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as Shah.

Reza Shah’s reign had seen dramatic modernization, railways, schools, legal reforms, and national identity building, but it came at the cost of political freedom, religious alienation, and deep corruption. In the end, his legacy was handed over in hopes that his son might preserve the state he built.

Music

Kai Engel – Sombre Descent

Franz Schubert – Ständchen, D 889

Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen, Hanna Ekström, Anna Dager – The Dawning

Frédéric Chopin – Prelude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4

Mozart – Lacrimosa

Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 – II. Allegretto

The post Book Two – Ep.10: Abdication appeared first on The Lion and The Sun Podcast.

As the Second World War breaks out, Iran declares neutrality. But Britain and the Soviet Union fear that Reza Shah’s ties with Germany could tip the balance of power in the Middle East.

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Sources for this episode.

Episode Summary

In the late 1930s, Europe braced for conflict as Adolf Hitler expanded German territory and power. His ambition for domination led to the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939, which paved the way for the invasion of Poland and ignited World War II. Germany’s blitzkrieg tactics overwhelmed Poland’s defences, and soon all major powers were at war.

Meanwhile, in Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi’s reign was marked by complex foreign relations. Initially perceived as a British puppet, Reza Shah’s quest for Iranian sovereignty led him to challenge British and Russian influences. He ended foreign extraterritorial rights, reduced the power of tribal leaders backed by Britain, and nationalized financial institutions. Despite these moves, his close ties to the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company earned him criticism.

Iran also maintained relations with the Soviet Union after signing the 1921 Treaty of Friendship, but tensions rose as Reza Shah repressed left-wing movements and communists. He viewed these groups as threats to national stability, enacting harsh laws to silence dissent.

During the 1930s, Nazi Germany courted Iran by promoting a shared Aryan heritage and offering industrial support. Reza Shah embraced this relationship to advance his modernization agenda, welcoming German investments and military expertise. However, when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, the Allies (fearing Nazi influence in Iran) demanded the expulsion of German agents and transit rights for Allied troops.

Reza Shah’s refusal triggered a joint British-Soviet invasion of Iran in August 1941 with the aim of removing him from power.

Music

Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen – Monarch of Fate

Kai Engel – Somnolence

Kai Engel – Counting Lights

Antonio Vivaldi – Nisi Dominus, RV 608: IV. Cum dederit

Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen – Digital Future

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