How did SAVAK suppress political opposition in Iran?

Established in 1957 with the assistance of U.S. and Israeli intelligence services, SAVAK (the Organization of National Security and Information) served as the secret police force for the Pahlavi regime. Its primary function was to monitor domestic dissidents and suppress any opposition to the shah’s autocratic rule.12

SAVAK became an omnipresent force within Iranian society, functioning as a primary instrument of state control. By systematically targeting those who criticized the government—including political activists, students, and intellectuals—the organization became a widely recognized symbol of the fear used to maintain the regime's authority. Its activities in suppressing dissent were a significant source of the widespread dissatisfaction that eventually contributed to the Iranian Revolution in 1978–1979.12