Leader Pays Homage to Imam Khomeini

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei visited the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini in the early hours of Sunday to pay tribute to the late founder of the Islamic Republic. 
He offered prayers and read the Holy Qur’an before leaving to visit the tombs of revolutionary figures and martyrs of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war to pay respect. 
Sunday marks the beginning of the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations, marking the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the former monarchic regime.
The commemoration ceremonies of the 42nd anniversary of the revolution were held in the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini, attended by a number of government and military authorities and representatives of different ethnic groups and religions as well as families of martyrs. 
Due to the spread of the coronavirus disease, the celebrations were held without public attendance this year. 
Mohammad Hassan Abutorabi delivered a speech and participants reaffirmed their allegiance to the ideals of the Islamic Republic's founder.
The annual Ten-Day Dawn festivities start on Feb. 1, when the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, returned from a political exile in Paris, and last until Feb. 10, when the revolution became victorious.
Imam Khomeini was in exile for almost 15 years and by the time he arrived to a massive welcome back home in 1979, the shah had already fled the country. 
The victory of the Islamic revolution under his leadership came 10 days later, ending 2,500 years of monarchy in Iran. 
On Feb. 11 each year, Iranians take to the streets in large numbers to commemorate the victory anniversary.
This year, however, the procession is slated to be held symbolically with vehicle and motorcycle parades due to Covid-19 restrictions, according to President Hassan Rouhani. 
“The symbolic celebration … should be held more gloriously with innovation and creativity,” he said during a meeting of the national coronavirus taskforce on Saturday. 
Other nationwide programs marking the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations will chiefly be performed through social media to prevent social gatherings. 
Rouhani also said Iranians will celebrate two victories this year, one of the Islamic Revolution and the other “in the fight against arrogant powers”. 
He referred to Iran’s successful resistance against the United States’ maximum pressure that aimed to force the country to make substantial concessions in return for sanctions lifting. 
The hostile policy did not succeed until US ex-president, Donald Trump, ended his career in January. 
Iran also stands tall and maintains its progress despite the assassination of its key military and scientific figures, General Qasem Soleimani and Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, respectively by arrogant powers.