She reportedly played a role in the CIA- and MI6-backed coup of 1953 that overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and consolidated her brother’s power. Ashraf’s lavish lifestyle and alleged involvement in corruption scandals became a symbol of the monarchy’s disconnect from ordinary. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which saw the overthrow of her brother’s regime, she fled and lived in exile in various countries, including France, the United States, and Switzerland. Despite the fall of the monarchy, she remained an ardent defender of the Pahlavi legacy, continuing to write and speak out against the Islamic Republic and in favor of secular governance and modernity.
