Iran marks 43rd anniversary of Islamic Revolution with nationwide rallies
Iranians from all walks of life have taken to the streets across the country to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the former US-backed Pahlavi regime in 1979.
The celebrations began in Tehran and elsewhere at 9:30 a.m. local time , with motorbikes and cars driving through the streets in the Iranian capital toward the iconic Azadi (Freedom) Square.
People were able to attend the rallies on foot in areas where fewer COVID-19 cases per capita have been recorded.
Each year, the occasion is commemorated by nationwide mass rallies. However, this is the second year that health protocols changed the format of the rallies.
On the eve of the 43rd anniversary, fireworks displays were performed in Tehran and other cities at 9:00 p.m overnight, as people chanted Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest) in an expression of support for the Islamic Revolution.
More than 6,300 Iranian and some 200 foreign journalists, photographers, and cameramen are covering the Friday ceremonies.
In Tehran, revolutionary songs were playing as marchers waved their national flags.
Professional parachutists put on a live performance over the Azadi Square, depicting the Iranian flag in the capital’s sky.
People waived photos of Imam Khomeini, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and legendary General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a US terrorist attack in Baghdad two years ago, as well as the martyrs of the Revolution.
Demonstrators also burnt the flags of the United States and the Israeli regime.
President Ebrahim Raeisi will address the event during Friday Prayers in the Grand Mosalla mosque of Tehran.
The Iranian nation overthrew the despotic regime of Pahlavi, which was fully supported by the United States in the winter of 1979. The struggle against the shah regime reached full fruition on February 11, 1979.
By December 1978, millions of Iranians had taken to the streets in protest against the policies of the shah – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi – on a regular basis.
Imam Khomeini returned to Iran from exile on February 1, 1979. He was received by millions of people weeks after the departure of the shah in mid-January 1979.
