The removal of the statues was not just about erasing the physical remnants of Pahlavi’s regime but also an attempt to remove any lasting symbols of the monarchy’s legacy. In the eyes of the new Islamic government, these statues represented the last vestiges of a secular, Westernized that they aimed to replace with an Islamic, conservative state. They saw the statues as symbols of arrogance, decadence, and a reminder of the imperialist presence in the country, particularly the Shah’s close relationship with the United States.
