Ayatollah Khamenei visited the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini, south of Tehran, to pay tribute to the late founder of the Islamic Republic on Sunday morning.

The Leader also paid tribute to Iranian martyrs laid to rest in a nearby cemetery, including the martyrs of the 1980-1988 Iraqi imposed war on Iran and a 1981 bombing in Tehran in which 72 officials were killed.

The Iranian nation toppled the US-backed Pahlavi regime 42 years ago, on February 11, 1979, ending 2,500 years of monarchic rule in the country.

The Islamic Revolution, led by Imam Khomeini, established a new political system based on Islamic values and democracy.

Every year, Iranians mark the anniversary of their Islamic Revolution from February 1 to 11, known as the Ten-Day Fajr ceremonies.

February 1, 1979, was the date when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile in Paris to Tehran.