The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was one of the most complex political events of the twentieth century, and its nature and consequences remain the subject of debate among scholars of political history and the sociology of revolutions. This article draws a conceptual distinction between the broader revolution of 1979 and the subsequent process through which the Islamic Revolution took shape. From this perspective, the 1979 Revolution was not initially an Islamic revolution; rather, it was a broad-based uprising against the Pahlavi state in which diverse political forces—including Islamists, Marxists, nationalists, and liberals—participated. The article demonstrates that the Pahlavi state’s development policies, rising oil revenues, the elimination of independent political institutions, the weakening of the state’s ties with traditional and modern social groups, and the emergence of a profound state–society divide created the social and political conditions for the revolution. It then examines the process through which this multi-ideological uprising was transformed into an Islamic Revolution through the gradual elimination of political rivals, the hostage crisis, the fall of the Provisional Government, and the removal of Abolhassan Banisadr from the presidency. The findings indicate that the Islamists’ victory was not a consequence of the revolution’s initial nature, but rather the result of their ability to mobilize society, utilize religious networks, and present a coherent alternative following the collapse of the Pahlavi regime