On the Occasion of the 46th Anniversary of the Passing of His Imperial Majesty Shahanshah Aryamehr

The English version is automatically generated and is not an official translation.

Another year has passed since our last farewell. This time, I speak with you, my beloved husband, both on my own behalf and on behalf of representatives of the Iranian nation to pay tribute to you and to offer a brief account of what Iran and its people have endured, both with you and without you.

Today marks forty-six years since you left Iran and the Iranian people, as well as me and your family. During these years, so much has happened to us and to our country and nation.

From the beginning of the twentieth century, Iran, guided by two visionary leaders, embarked upon a path that no other country in the region could even have imagined.

Your father, Reza Shah the Great, saved Iran from partition and disintegration during one of the most difficult periods in the world’s history and laid the foundations of a modern and independent nation.

Then, through your tireless efforts as the Shahanshah of Iran, a country devastated by war was transformed into a prosperous Iran, and a once-humiliated people became proud and dignified.

Gradually, Iran became the object of envy for some and a source of hope for others. The world’s superpowers also began to look upon it with growing concern.

By the end of that golden era, every country in the region aspired to achieve even a small part of what Iran had accomplished. Yet you remained determined to place Iran among the most advanced nations of the world.

You, the Shahanshah of Iran, believed unwaveringly in the support of the Iranian people. You would accept no agreement with the leaders of the world that departed, even by a single step, from your vision of a great Iran. Regrettably, that support was withheld from you. Without that vital backing, we have witnessed and continue to witness devastating and overwhelming consequences.

The Iran you left behind maintained friendly relations with countries throughout the world, and their doors were open to Iranians without visas. Today, Iran, described as the foremost state sponsor of international terrorism, maintains only limited and uncertain relations with a small number of countries.

In the Iran you built, the income of an Iranian worker was sufficient to provide a comfortable life for his family. Today, an Iranian worker cannot even afford the basic necessities of life.

Your Iran invested in some of the world’s most important industries and extended loans to European countries. Today, its government holds out a begging bowl, awaiting American permission to purchase food.

My crowned King, I salute you as an incomparable and compassionate husband and as a father who devoted great care and attention to the lives and upbringing of his children.

I salute you as the Bozorg Arteshtaran, the Supreme Commander. Through your vision, you created the world’s fifth-strongest defense force for your homeland, ensuring that no country would even contemplate aggression against Iran.

The courageous young generation of Iran the very generation that the Islamic regime sought to turn into its supporters through vast expenditures and great falsehoods about our era is now fully aware of what we built. Empty handed but possessing an iron will, they stand against the regime, salute the Pahlavi dynasty, and loudly demand the downfall of the regime of terror.

Only recently, we witnessed one of the greatest massacres of a people by their own ruling government. Tens of thousands of our courageous young people, by order of Iran’s present leaders, were struck down in blood and dust in only two days, leaving an entire nation in mourning and demanding justice.

Today, those same leaders are engulfed in the flames of a devastating war. A nation that once possessed everything is now hungry, defenseless, and desperate, uncertain of what tomorrow will bring.

Reza, your eldest son, who was a nineteen-year-old young man when you departed, has undertaken the leadership of the effort to reclaim Iran and guide the country toward a transitional period.

It is my hope, and the hope of all Iranians, that with the final victory of light over darkness, the people of Iran united in heart and voice and standing hand in hand will dedicate themselves to building their country’s future and will once again create a prosperous, advanced, and proud Iran.

Until that day and until that news arrives, I salute you with endless love.

Farah Pahlavi