 In 2018, the US and European Union imposed sanctions on several Iranian groups and officials it accused of human rights abuses.The Imperial State of Iran, the government of Iran during the Pahlavi dynasty, lasted from 1925 to 1979.During that time two monarchs Reza Shah Pahlavi and his son Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi employed secret police, torture, and executions to stifle political dissent.