Iran Marks 30th Demise Anniversary of Imam Khomeini

Authorities said over 350,000 devotees of late Grand Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini attended the main event at his mausoleum.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei addressed the event, which began at 17:30 local time.

Senior Iranian officials along with foreign guests and ambassadors were also in attendance. Some 50 foreign media correspondents and 300 Iranian reporters were in charge of covering the event.

Countrywide events also commemorated the legacy of the man who founded the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iranian Jews, Zoroastrians Pay Homage to Imam Khomeini

Earlier in the day, a group of Zoroastrians held a vigil for Imam Khomeini, which was also attended by the representative of the Zoroastrian community in Iran’s parliament Esfandiar Ekhtiari.

Addressing the event, Rashid Khorshidian, head of the Council of Iranian Mobeds (Zoroastrian priests), said Imam always viewed all Iranians as members of a single nation and encouraged solidarity among all ethnic groups.

“Muslims, Zoroastrians, Jews and all Iranians of any ethnic, religious or cultural background are rooted in the country’s soil and make efforts for their country’s prosperity and progress,” said the Zoroastrian priest.

Iranian Jewish communities also marked the occasion by holding separate commemoration ceremonies at a synagogue in Tehran on Saturday as well as Monday evening.

Rabbi Younes Hamami said during the event that Iranian Jews are “indebted” to Imam Khomeini because he “separated Zionism from Judaism” and helped Jews and other Iranian religious minorities live a peaceful life today.

Ayatollah Khomeini spent most of his life fighting the US-backed Pahlavi regime and paved the way for Mohammad Reza Shah’s downfall 1979.

He also led Iran through eight years of war imposed by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein between 1980 and 1988.

He passed away on June 3, 1989 at the age of 87. Over 10 million people attended his funeral.

Ayatollah Khamenei was elected as Imam Khomeini’s successor in a historic vote by the democratically-elected Assembly of Experts on June 4 the same year.