Spotlight on French village where Khomeini plotted revolutionAyatollah Khomeini is seen in exile in the French village of Neauphle-le-Chateau in January 1979. (Photo: AFP)NEAUPHLE-LE-CHATEAU, France - It has been nearly 50 years since the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini recorded speeches calling for an Islamic revolution from a country home in an affluent village west of Paris. But the inhabitants of Neauphle-le-Chateau have still not got over their famous guest, as the US-Israeli war against Iran puts the spotlight back on the ayatollah’s legacy. But then a friend offered the house west of the capital and Neauphle-le-Chateau became internationally famous. A Neauphle-le-Chateau resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that between 150 and 200 people came each year with Iran’s ambassador “to celebrate the anniversary” of Khomeini’s return to Iran.

Source: Bangkok Post March 03, 2026 11:00 UTC