Iran commemorated the 34th anniversary of the liberation of the strategic port city of Khorramshahr from Iraqi forces under the former dictator Saddam Hussein.
Iranian forces recaptured the southwestern city in a landmark operation code-named Beit-ul-Moqaddas during the 1980-88 Iraq-imposed War.
Iran launched the operation in April 1982 and liberated Khorramshahr on May 24 of the same year. In retaking the city, the Iranians captured about 19,000 troops from the Iraqi Army, Press TV reported.
Some 6,000 Iraqi forces were also killed and thousands of others injured during the operation.
During an open session of parliament on Monday, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said, "The liberation of Khorramshahr marks a turning point in the combat history of the revolutionary Iranian nation."
The imposed war began a year after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, with Iraq invading Iran with the support of major powers and their allies in the region.
The war drew to a close in August 1988, when Iran accepted UN Security Council Resolution 598 that declared Saddam as initiator of the conflict.
During the war, Iraqi forces received economic, military and intelligence support from more than 20 countries led by the United States.
