On 19 August , in the southwestern city of Abadan , four arsonists barred the door of the Cinema Rex movie theatre and set it on fire . In what was the largest terrorist attack in history prior to the 11 September 2001 attacks , 422 people inside the theatre were burned to death . Khomeini immediately blamed the Shah and SAVAK for setting the fire . Due to the pervasive revolutionary atmosphere , the public also blamed the Shah for starting the fire , despite the government 's insistence that they were uninvolved . Tens of thousands of people took to the streets shouting " Burn the Shah ! " and " The Shah is the guilty one ! " After the revolution , many claimed that Islamist militants had started the fire . After the Islamic Republic government executed a police officer for the act , a man claiming to be the lone surviving arsonist claimed he was responsible for starting the fire . After forcing the resignation of the presiding judges in an attempt to hamper the investigation , the new government finally executed Hossein Talakhzadeh for " setting the fire on the Shah 's orders " ( despite his insistence he did it on his own accord as an ultimate sacrifice for the revolutionary cause )
11 September 2001 attacks
September 11 attacks
Iranian Revolution