February 11, 1979. It would take just 13 months to irrevocably change the course of global history and introduce the world to a new era of modern terrorism. The Islamic Republic of Iran rose up from an unlikely revolution in a country that had never seen financial crisis, disgruntled military, or faced defeat in war.

Radical Obsession explores the transformation of Iran from a western-influenced monarchy to a modern orthodox theocracy. It investigates how Ayatollah Khomeini's vision for a society shaped by a ruling council of Imams radically upset the balance of power in the Middle East: a vision that reignited an age-old sectarian struggle for dominance of the Muslim world while spreading a deadly current of fear and an unyielding mission of state-sponsored terrorism.

Sponsors: Carol & Ed Kaplan