Iran Begins Celebrations Marking Islamic Revolution Anniversary
Special programs are held across Iran and in other countries every year to mark the anniversary of the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the US-backed Pahlavi regime.
This year, the nationwide ceremonies kicked off at 9:33 a.m. local time, the time when the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini (RA), returned to the Iranian capital, Tehran, on February 1, 1979 after a 15-year exile in Turkey, Iraq and France.
A special ceremony was held at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, where a chartered Air France plane landed 38 years ago and Imam Khomeini (RA) got off the plane and was greeted by crowds of devotees.
The ceremony was attended by Intelligence Minister Hojat-ol-Islam Seyed Mahmoud Alavi, Vice-President and Head of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization Zahra Ahmadipour, and members of Imam Khomeini’s (RA) family.
At the program, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who delivered a speech at a similar event last year, was commemorated.
Ayatollah Rafsanjani passed away on January 8 this year.
The Iranian nation toppled the US-backed Pahlavi regime 38 years ago, ending the 2,500 years of monarchic rule in the country.
The Islamic Revolution spearheaded by the late Imam Khomeini established a new political system based on Islamic values and democracy.
