The story of the family’s departure from Iran dates back to the 1970s, when there were demonstrations in Iran against the regime. The shah, who was in poor health, initially tried to travel to Europe, but eventually was allowed to settle in Egypt by Sadat in 1979. He later traveled to the US in search of treatment for acute lymphoma, which resulted in the storming of the US Embassy in Tehran, when 52 Americans were take as hostages, with Iran stipulating that they would not be released unless the shah was returned to stand trial.
