Millions of Iranians have flocked to the streets nationwide to honor the 45th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution on February 11 that overthrew the Pahlavi regime.

According to The Iran Project, Ceremonies were held in the Iranian capital of  Tehran and other cities and towns with massive turnouts of ordinary people and high-ranking officials, including President Ebrahim Raisi.

During the mass rallies, many families took to the streets along with their children waving the Iranian national flags and speakers blared out songs reminiscent of the Revolution days over four decades ago.

More than 7,300 Iranian and foreign media personnel covered the Sunday rallies.

On the eve of the event, fireworks displays were lit skies in Tehran and other cities at 9:00 p.m. overnight, as people chanted Allah Akbar (God is the Greatest) in a show of solidarity with the Islamic Revolution. 

The 22nd of the solar calendar month of Bahman which falls on February 11 each year creates a tremendous patriotic fervor across Iran.

On February 1, 1979, Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Revolution, returned to his home country after fifteen years of exile.

The Revolution led to the ouster of the former monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and achieved victory ten days later on February 11.

Addressing the crowd at Tehran’s Azadi Square, President Ebrahim Raisi reaffirmed Iran’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people, saying Palestine remains the number one issue of the Muslim world as the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini said famously.

Western powers tried very hard to dissuade Iran from supporting Palestine but failed miserably, he stated.

Raisi further voiced his appreciation for those who contributed to the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and added that the nation chose honor over humiliation through revolution.

The president went on to say that the Islamic Republic of Iran stands as the most independent country in the world today, maintaining a stance that is neither aligned with the East nor the West.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Raisi asserted that Iran ranks first in science production in the region and 15th in the world.

Iran has been able to achieve self-sufficiency in many areas, something that benefits the country and the entire region, he noted.

“Iran made achievements in different sectors in light of self-belief and believing in people and God,” he noted.

Moreover, the Iranian president stressed that the Islamic Revolution is racing forward following the periods of establishment, stabilization, and development and that it recognizes no obstacle in its path forward.

“The enemy launched military, economic, media, and psychological wars, and more recently, a hybrid war to stop the Iranian nation, but the people emerged victorious in all arenas and disappointed the enemy,” he concluded.