SAVAK was established in 1957 with the help of the CIA and the Israeli Mossad, as part of efforts to strengthen the Pahlavi regime’s grip on power. The Shah’s regime feared growing Communist influence and leftist movements, particularly after the 1953 CIA-backed coup that had reinstated Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to the throne. SAVAK was created to safeguard the monarchy from both domestic and foreign threats, particularly during the Cold War, when Iran was seen as a critical ally of the West in the region.
