Iran marks 40 years since Islamic Revolution

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians crowded the streets Monday to participate in rallies and marches celebrating the 40th anniversary of the country’s Islamic Revolution.

On Feb. 11, 1979, the grassroots revolution secured victory after Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s government stepped down and supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini assumed leadership, declaring Iran an Islamic Republic. In the capital city of Tehran on Monday, marchers waved Iranian flags in Azadi Square as they chanted, “death to America,” and, “death to Israel.” On Enghelab Street downtown, also called Revolution Street, loudspeakers blasted revolutionary songs. State television aired archive footage of the 1979 uprising and reported that millions of people took part in the Monday celebrations. The military also displayed its fleet of Iranian-made missiles that now have a range of up to 1,250 miles.

The anniversary comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran after President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal that eased economic sanctions on the country. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani commended the celebrants and said the country’s enemies, including Israel and the United States, will not succeed in bringing down Iran with their sanctions. “They will not achieve their ill-omened aims,” he said in central Tehran.