[regularization]

What countries helped overthrow prime minister Mossadegh, who wanted to nationalize Iran's foreign owned oil, and installed a dictatorship?

What countries backed the mullahs against Iran's secular and left opposition, helping SAVAK kill the opposition?

In 1979 the US was working to prevent anti-anti-Russian forces from coming to power, not the mullahs.

[derektank]

The clergy also backed the Shah’s auto-golpe in the 50s

[hurricanepootis]

The clergy weren't explicitly backing the Shah, they were just fearful of anything like communism happening, since most communist countries/communists are aesthetes.

Iranian clergy as an institution starting coming into political power, really, around the time of the Russian-Persian wars, were one of the highest ranking Shia scholars in Iran issues a fatwa supporting the war against Russia.