The ARF organ in Iran usually supported the Pahlavi regime (1925-1979), which in turn appreciated the party's anti-Soviet stance as well as stance of having no claims to Iranian territory. The only genuine opposition against the Pahlavi regime came when Reza Shah closed most of the minority schools (incl. therefore the Armenian ones). During the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, and the ensuing Iran crisis of 1946, the Iranian Armenian community elected parliamentary representatives who were regarded as hostile to the ARF, while at the same time the occupying Soviets imprisoned and exiled some of the Iranian ARF leaders.