In 1941, Iran watched its neutrality violated as Allied forces launched an amphibious attack on its borders. The literature of the Second World War has largely described the invasion as a justified and necessary incursion on a country accused of harboring a German fifth column and of accommodating a small community of Italian and Japanese nationals. In actuality, the offensive proved the most efficient way of opening and controlling supply lines to the Soviet Union. The offense raised questions in international law about the legality of such invasions. While Iran remained a hub of espionage during the war, the impact of the occupation had a serious impact on the daily lives of Iranians, who grappled with food shortages, imposing foreign soldiers in their communities, and a typhus epidemic. In addition, Iran hosted a group of Polish refugees who had been uprooted during the conflict. Finally, the international crisis brought to the fore the ethnic tensions in Iran, which were being fanned by the Great Powers. This essay draws on a range of archival, visual, and print sources to document the multi-faceted dimensions of these crucial years and their impact on the lives of Iranians under occupation. My analysis rethinks the history of the occupation by paying attention to domestic responses and by addressing the role of Iran as a relatively small, but vital, player in the global conflict.