Milder Iranian revolution plausibility?

In order for a particular timeline I've been pondering to work, I need to moderate the Iranian Revolution such that the resulting government is still pro-Western. That provides the critical change that I need for the timeline. The question, of course, is how do I get that. If Khomeini is killed in 1964 as a response to the murder of Prime Minister Hasan Ali Mansur, either framed as an accidental death or after trial for the murder, would that result in a less religious revolution? I hate to mess with a person's basic nature, but if the Shah is a more frugal or modest person than he historically was, would the resulting lack of gratuitous excess on luxury be sufficient to delay the Revolution. What are the best PODs for this to occur?
 
It should've been.

If you want a POD for a more happy Iran a good idea would be just simply no Shah. But I think that a democracy in Iran wouldn't have been an impossible outcome.
 
Shapour Bakhtiar might be your man. He was a moderate pro-western democrat. The Sha was forced to appoint him as prime minister in the early stages of revolution. Bakthiar had little time to turn Iran into a democracy, but he tried:
From Wiky: "In his 36 days as premier of Iran, Bakhtiar ordered all political inmates to be freed, lifted censorship of newspapers (whose staff had until then been on strike), relaxed martial law, ordered the dissolving of SAVAK (the former regime's secret police) and requested that the opposition give him three months to hold elections for a constituent assembly that would decide the fate of the monarchy and determine the future form of government for Iran."
He made a crucial mistake allowing Khomeini to re-enter Iran, and was overwhelmed by the islamists. He also lacked the support of USA and Europe in this very delicate moment.
 
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