Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday visited the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini and Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery in southern Tehran to pay tribute to the late founder of the Islamic Republic and martyrs.
The visits came a day after the beginning of Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies marking the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Tasnim News Agency reported.
The Iranian nation toppled the US-backed Pahlavi regime 38 years ago on February 11, 1979, ending the 2,500 years of monarchic rule in the country.
The revolution, led by Imam Khomeini, established a new political system based on Islamic values and democracy.
Every year, Iranians mark the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution from February 1 to 11, known as the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies. February 1, 1979, was the date when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from political exile in Paris to Tehran. This year's festivities fall on Jan. 31-Feb. 10, as it is a leap year in the Iranian calendar.
Ayatollah Khamenei prayed at the tombs of Imam Khomeini and the late chairman of Expediency Council, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
The Leader visited the tombs of and paid respect to the martyrs of Islamic Revolution, soldiers martyred during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the military advisers killed in Syria, the martyrs of the 7th of Tir bombing in 1981 and the 16 heroic firefighters, who lost their lives battling a massive blaze when the high-rise in downtown Tehran collapsed on Jan. 19.
On June 28, 1981—the 7th of Tir 1360 in the Iranian calendar—a powerful bomb exploded at the headquarters of the Islamic Republic Party in Tehran during a meeting.
A total of 72 officials of the Islamic Republic were killed, including Chief Justice Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti, four Cabinet ministers, 27 members of parliament and several other government officials.
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