Savak: The History And Feared Legacy Of The Shah-era Secret Police During Iran's 1979 Revolution

Weeks of nationwide anti-government protests in Iran, driven by a long-running economic crisis, have revived interest in the country’s pre-1979 history. Many Iranians are again discussing Savak, the Shah-era secret police, while streets fill with crowds demanding change. The renewed anger has also drawn attention from foreign capitals watching the unrest.

The current turmoil has raised global concern about possible military moves by US President Donald Trump and about steps Tehran may take to counter any attack. Against this tense backdrop, Savak’s record, its secretive operations and its dramatic fall are being re-examined in public debates, academic circles and diaspora communities.

Savak history and Iran protests

Decades after the monarchy collapsed, Savak returned to headlines in 2025 when Parviz Sabeti faced a civil case in Florida. Sabeti, described as the alleged head of the secret police and "chief torturer" under the Shah, was sued for 225 million dollars over reported abuses in prisons in Tehran and other locations.

By that time, Sabeti was 89 and living quietly in the United States after fleeing Iran in 1978. Reporting by The Guardian said neighbours knew Sabeti and a spouse as Peter and Nancy. The couple were viewed locally as friendly retirees, with little public sign of the violent past alleged in court filings.

Savak structure and operations

Long before these legal proceedings, Savak had been central to the Shah’s security system. According to the US Department of State website, the organisation was created in 1957 under a national security law. It took over counter-intelligence work that had previously been handled separately by the police, gendarmerie and military intelligence branches.

Al-Manar TV Lebanon, citing research by the Union Center for Research and Development, reported that Savak was formed with direct backing from US intelligence agencies. The group’s internal structure was said to mirror that of the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, helping Savak blend intelligence collection with internal policing.

From its early years, Savak worked across two main areas: gathering intelligence and enforcing internal security. Over time, it developed a reputation for intrusive surveillance, intimidation and political repression. Dissidents, students and clerics often saw Savak agents as ever-present, whether on campuses, in workplaces or within opposition circles across Iran.

Savak methods under the Shah

The organisation’s reach expanded as opposition to the monarchy grew. Prior to the 1978–79 Islamic Revolution, Savak, formally the Organization of National Security and Information, acted as the Shah’s secret police and intelligence arm. The agency gained notoriety for widespread arrests, harsh interrogations and executions of those accused of challenging the royal government.

As revolutionary mobilisation intensified during 1978, Savak’s methods became more severe, which deepened public resentment. Offices and facilities linked to the agency were attacked in several cities that year. Savak also enforced tight control over newspapers, drawing sustained criticism. From mid-1978, however, that grip on print media weakened, even as the organisation continued suppression of organised opposition.

Year	Event	Details
1957	Creation of Savak	Established under national security law as Iran’s central intelligence and security body.
1978–79	Revolution period	Public anger rose; Savak offices attacked and press control weakened.
1979	Dissolution	New leadership dissolved Savak after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s return.
2025	Sabeti lawsuit	Parviz Sabeti sued in Florida over alleged torture and prison abuses.

Savak, Khomeini and the Shah’s final days

While the revolution gathered strength on the streets, political manoeuvring unfolded at the top. In the Shah’s final months in power, Shapour Bakhtiar became caretaker prime minister in a last attempt to control the unrest. As Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s return from exile drew near, Bakhtiar reportedly sought outside help to halt the cleric’s movement.

In January 1979, Bakhtiar approached Israel’s newly appointed Mossad chief, Eliezer Tsafrir, asking for Khomeini’s assassination while Khomeini lived in exile in France. Former Mossad official Yossi Alpher described the approach in the book Periphery: Israel's Search for Middle East Allies, cited in reporting by The Guardian on the period.

The plot never advanced. On 1 February 1979, around two weeks after the Shah left Iran, Khomeini flew back to Tehran on an Air France flight. Reports in The Jerusalem Post described huge crowds greeting the returning cleric, with millions of supporters lining the route and gathering in the capital to welcome the new political era.

After Khomeini’s return, Bakhtiar moved quickly to shut down the Shah’s security apparatus. Savak was dissolved, ending one of the most feared arms of the royal state. The agency’s last director, Nasser Moghaddam, was executed within weeks. Bakhtiar later fled to Paris, where Iranian agents killed Bakhtiar in 1991, according to historical accounts.

Yossi Alpher later reflected publicly on the decision not to proceed with the operation targeting Khomeini. Alpher said, "If the Mossad had killed Khomeini, history might have taken a better course." The remark highlighted continuing debate over whether a single act could have altered Iran’s revolution and the regional order that followed.

The story of Savak now sits at the centre of discussions about Iran’s past and current unrest. Protesters challenging economic hardship and political controls draw on memories of the Shah’s security state and its downfall. For many Iranians and observers, Savak’s rise, repression and fall remain a warning about how intelligence agencies can shape power and provoke resistance.