The Iranian flag was hoisted high in Tehran on a day that's remembered as a milestone in Iran's history. April 1, 1979, was the day when the Islamic Republic replaced three millennia of monarchy in Iran.
This came in a referendum held months after the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the former Pahlavi regime. The ballots contained “Yes” or 'no' to the Islamic Republic, and more than 98 percent of the eligible voters chose to vote “Yes”.
The event also invited ambassadors to Iran who took part to congratulate Iran on the occasion. Led by Imam Khomeini, the Islamic Revolution was driven by anti-imperialist sentiments, since former Iranian monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was believed to be heavily dependent on western powers, especially the US.
Iranian officials say independence is one of the accomplishments brought about by the Islamic Republic in Iran. Since its establishment, the Islamic Republic has faced many challenges; from the western funded Iraqi war to the stringent sanctions imposed against the country by the US and Europe.
Authorities of the Islamic Republic say the establishment has reached maturity in its fourth decade of life, and will not surrender to western pressures.
The Islamic Republic revolutionized everything in Iran, even its flag, which used to bear the lion and sun emblem as a symbol of monarchy, and later was replaced by God's name, Allah; a reflection of the Iranians' Islamic beliefs, which they say were not addressed during the Shah era.