IRDC.IR: The unrest and the protests of 1979, led US to the conclusion that the only way to overcome the crisis, was for Shah to leave the country.
The political struggle against Pahlavi regime was intensified, and the United Press reported that US had announced a big change in his policy about Muhammadreza: "Shah has to leave the country as soon as possible so the non military government gets a chance to end the crisis. Cyrus Vance, US foreign minister called Shah's decision a "reasonable decision". He also added: "With Shah in Iran, there's no hope for settling the unrest".
Vance believed that in Shah's presence, Bakhtiar couldn't convince the adversaries that Shah had handed over his authority to him. So if his departure was delayed, Bakhtiar's government would've faced horrible consequences.
On January 4th, in a meeting at the White House in Carter's presence, it was decided to announce that president Carter approved Shah's decision to leave Iran and to form a Royal Court at that time.
So on January 16th,Sullivan was ordered to arrange a meeting with Shah immediately and tell him that he has to form a Royal Court and leave Iran as soon as possible.
Following that, Bakhtiar told Kayhan on a phone call that the Royal Court was going to be formed on Saturday.
A few days before Shah's escape, his family had left the country. As the New York Post reported, the Mother queen and Asharaf left Iran in the first place. Then Farideh Diba, and Alireza and Leila Pahlavi left Iran with a military place on January 15th.
Finally Muhammadreza Pahlavi told Sullivan to inform the air force commander, Rabiee, with the details of Shah's trip and on January 16th, at 13:10 the humiliated Shah left Iran for good, but the history has recorded the crimes, massacres, tortures, prisons and and how he gave up to the outsiders.
Source: A one-year fight to take down Shah's regime, by Ruhollah Hosseinian
Translated by: Roya Jalali
