On 5 November 1979, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, delivered a fiery denunciation of the United States, branding it as "The Great Satan" and condemning its influence as a corrupting force in Iran and across the Muslim world.
This dramatic characterisation came amid escalating tensions between the two nations, only days after militant Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took American diplomats hostage.
Khomeini accused the US of imperialism and undermining Iran's sovereignty through decades of political manipulation and interference, which he asserted served American interests at the expense of the Iranian people.
The statement underscored his view of the United States as a symbol of moral decay and a prime antagonist to Islamic values and independence, igniting fervent anti-American sentiment within Iran and reshaping regional geopolitics.
