Khomeini's Homecoming

The old man waited patiently as the flight circled the airport. The reporters filmed him sitting there. One of them asked him what he felt returning home, to which he replied “I don’t feel a thing”. After landing, he stood and made his way to the exit. The pilot offered his arm to assist the old man down the stairs. At that moment, a look of something, pride?, flashed across his face and he refused. He stepped through the door, took two steps, tripped and fell. At the bottom of the staircase, he lay still with a clearly broken neck.

It is February 1st, 1979, at Tehran airport. Ayatollah Khomeini has just died, in front of millions of his followers, of a simple accident.

What happens now?
 
Probably conspiracy theories against the Shah or Israel.

Not up on who would take his place, but martyrdom would likely help the revolution.
 
How could you have a conspiracy about his death if it's filmed happening? Actually, reading some stuff on the web, that's easily possible. However.

Would the Shah's government try to assert their authority? Was there a clear successor to Khomeini? Or would it all go bad and turn into some sort of multi-sided civil war?
 
Would the Shah's government try to assert their authority? Was there a clear successor to Khomeini? Or would it all go bad and turn into some sort of multi-sided civil war?

Montazeri could have taken his place. He was more liberal minded then khomeini so while Iran would have had mostly the same state apparature (he was largely behind the constitution), he might have been more tolerant of dissent (he wanted political parties from the start) and could, maybe, have established some sort of modus vivendi with the west.
 
Conspiracy theories and the Middle East...

Visit the Middle East sometime. The popularity of conspiracy theories of ANY SORT (no matter how bizarre) would astonish you. I don't care of the individual in question was present, talked to Khomeni, watched him fall down the stairs, ran up to him and got there first, and then did a DNA sample to confirm his identity, he would somehow have a description of a conspiracy cooked up by Mossad, implemented by their stooges, the Americans.

This isn't to say that we 'enlightened' westerners are immune from such things (loathsome Truthers are an excellent example, but pick your own poison...), but they aren't nearly as mainstream, or as widespread as they are in the Middle East.

So to respond to the original question....it would make little or no difference. The 'accident' would be called an assassination, blamed on the Israelis, and there it would end, since it isn't as if they could be hated any more than they already are....
 
The Zionist Satanic Stairway of DOOM!!!!

Would the revolution succeed though? Would everyone line up behind Ayatollah X? I always thought Khomeini WAS the revolution. Without him, is there a clear successor within a few days or a week and do they have the religious authority? You could argue that the opposition is now split between the mullahs, the Marxists and the moderates. The government mightn't lose strength to the opposition through defections and could make a go of running the country, especially if they bring in the desired reforms. Or is February 1979 too late?
 
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