Why were Khomeini’s recorded speeches smuggled into Iran during the 1970s?

During the 1970s, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was in exile and unable to communicate directly with the Iranian public due to the strict censorship and political repression enforced by the shah’s regime, which utilized the SAVAK to monitor and suppress dissent.12

Khomeini’s recorded speeches were smuggled into Iran to bypass these state-controlled information channels and reach the masses directly. These messages were instrumental in coordinating opposition to the Pahlavi regime, as they allowed Khomeini to preach against the shah’s perceived irreligion and subservience to foreign powers. As economic conditions worsened and social discontent grew, particularly among the urban poor and rural migrants who felt alienated by the regime’s modernization programs, these tapes provided a vital source of guidance and helped unify diverse opposition groups under the banner of Shi'i Islam.123