By Ivan Kesic
It is more than a mere date on the Iranian calendar. It is a living testament to a nation's tumultuous journey toward sovereignty and its unyielding defiance against hegemonic powers.
This day simultaneously commemorates three profound events: the exile of the founder of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini; the brutal massacre of innocent students by the Pahlavi regime in 1978; and the landmark 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran, also known as "Den of Espionage."
Together, these events form a coherent narrative of struggle, sacrifice, and ultimate emancipation from a US-backed dictatorship and its subsequent plots to undermine the popular revolution.
The thread connecting these milestones is the malevolent influence of American foreign policy, which first propped up the oppressive Pahlavi regime and then, after its fall, conspired to strangle the nascent Islamic Republic in its cradle.
It is about understanding a continuous struggle, a "basic jihad against arrogance," as articulated by Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who emphasized that "for the Iranian nation, inspired by Islamic teachings, standing up against oppression is a duty.
Exile of the Leader: forging revolution in absence
The first chapter of this historic day began in 1963, a period when the Shah's regime, eager to present a liberal facade, introduced the so-called "White Revolution" — a package of measures widely recognized as being inspired and dictated by its American advisors.
Imam Khomeini, with his profound religious and political insight, immediately recognized this as a ploy to deepen Iran's dependency on the West and fortify the dictatorship.
He issued a powerful manifesto condemning the Shah's submission to the US and Israel, and his violation of the nation's constitution. His courageous speeches ignited the mass protests of Khordad 15, which were brutally suppressed with the martyrdom of hundreds.
However, the pivotal moment that led to his exile came in November 1964. In a demonstration of its subservient status, the Shah's regime granted diplomatic immunity to American military personnel and their families, effectively placing them above Iranian law.
Imam Khomeini thundered against this "capitulation," asking rhetorically if the Iranian people were lesser than Americans. For this act of defiance, he was arrested on November 4, 1964, and sent into exile, first to Turkey, then to Najaf in Iraq, and finally to Neauphle-le-Château in France.
This 14-year period of exile was a crucible. It was during this time that Imam Khomeini meticulously developed the political doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist), which would become the cornerstone of the Islamic Republic.
From afar, he masterfully guided the revolutionary movement, his voice amplified by cassette tapes and pamphlets, proving that physical distance could not quell a revolution fueled by faith and an unflinching desire for self-determination.
As Ayatollah Khamenei later reflected, "The Imam was kidnapped from his home and exiled from Iran... Fifteen years later... the Imam's children, the revolutionary student youth, went on the 13th of Aban and occupied the American spy den in Tehran; they exiled America from Iran."
This poetic justice underscored that the struggle was never personal, but a fundamental conflict between national sovereignty and foreign domination.
Student protest of 1978: Seeds sown in blood
Merely hours before the revolution came to fruition, the Pahlavi regime delivered a brutal reminder of its nature. On November 4, 1978, thousands of students gathered at the University of Tehran for a peaceful protest against the US-backed dictatorship.
In a savage response, Pahlavi regime forces stormed the campus, unleashing tear gas, batons, and a hail of bullets upon the unarmed youth.
The outcome was a national tragedy: 56 students were martyred and hundreds more were injured. This massacre, occurring on the same date as Imam Khomeini's exile, served to deepen the people's hatred for the monarchy and resolve to free their nation from Western domination.
This event was not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of violence designed to intimidate the population. Instead, it poured fuel on the revolutionary fire, proving that the Shah's claims of modernity and progress were a hollow mask for sheer brutality.
The blood of these students, like that of the protesters in 1963, nourished the tree of revolution, which would bear fruit just a few months later.
Den of Espionage: Iran's Second Revolution
The most globally resonant event of Aban 13 was the 1979 takeover of the US embassy by Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line. This was not a spontaneous act of rage, but a calculated and necessary response to a clear and present danger to the Islamic Revolution.
Despite the Revolution's victory in February 1979, the US government showed no intention of respecting Iran's newfound independence.
The US embassy in Tehran, far from being a diplomatic mission, had transformed into what Ayatollah Khamenei described as "the headquarters of hatching plots to undermine the Islamic Revolution."
It was a "nest of spies," a central hub for coordinating with remnants of the Pahlavi regime, fomenting ethnic discord, and planning a counter-revolutionary coup.
The final provocation came when the United States granted entry to the deposed Shah, a fugitive from justice who plundered the nation's wealth and oversaw a reign of terror.
This act was widely seen in Iran as Washington preparing to reinstall its puppet. The streets of Tehran erupted in massive protests, and the students, recognizing the imminent threat, acted decisively.
On November 4, 1979, around 400 students scaled the embassy walls and seized the compound, capturing diplomatic staff and, most importantly, a treasure trove of sensitive intelligence documents that detailed the extensive espionage and subversion activities being orchestrated from within.
Imam Khomeini's strategic endorsement
The initial takeover was planned as a symbolic sit-in, but it rapidly evolved into a prolonged operation with the firm and decisive support of Imam Khomeini. He famously hailed the move as the "Second Revolution," a designation that underscored its profound strategic importance.
As Ayatollah Khamenei has explained, "The Imam was not a young man that you would say, 'He got emotional and said something.' The Imam, that wise old man... had realized a truth."
That truth was threefold. First, the occupation was the logical culmination of the anti-arrogance struggle that had defined his movement from the beginning.
Second, it exposed and neutralized the central node of American conspiracy against the young republic. Third, and perhaps most critically, it severed the last threads of potential dependency.
"The spy den issue severed this last possible thread of communication between the revolution and America," Ayatollah Khamenei noted." This did a great and valuable service to our revolution."
Aftermath: Defeating arrogance and solidifying independence
The American response was one of sheer arrogance and miscalculation. Rather than addressing Iran's legitimate grievances, President Jimmy Carter opted for economic threats and a disastrous military rescue attempt, Operation Eagle Claw, which ended in humiliating failure in the Iranian desert.
Furthermore, the US greenlighted and supported Saddam Hussein's brutal invasion of Iran in September 1980, hoping to crush the Islamic Revolution through proxy war.
The embassy crisis was ultimately resolved through the Algiers Accords in January 1981, which secured the release of the embassy staff and, crucially, compelled the US to pledge non-interference in Iran's internal affairs and to unfreeze Iranian assets.
The release was timed to coincide with the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan, a move that symbolically highlighted the domestic political cost for the US.
The students' courageous act, supported by the nation, not only exposed American hypocrisy and vulnerability but also solidified the revolutionary path, globalizing the fight against what Ayatollah Khamenei termed "American Pharaonicism."
Enduring legacy of resistance
The 13th of Aban, which is marked every year by massive rallies, remains a powerful symbol of Iran's enduring commitment to its principles of independence, freedom, and Islamic governance.
It is a day that encapsulates the Iranian nation's journey from the oppression of a US-backed dictator to its ultimate defiant stance against the "global arrogance."
The documents painstakingly reconstructed from the shredded papers in the Den of Espionage, filling over seventy volumes, stand as an eternal indictment of foreign interference.
As the Iranian people mark this day each year with countrywide rallies, they reaffirm the promise made by their forebears: that they will never again allow their nation to be a playground for foreign powers.
The spirit of Aban 13—the spirit of Imam Khomeini, the martyred students, and the courageous youth—continues to guide the Islamic Republic of Iran on its path, proving that a nation united in faith and purpose can indeed stand up to the most formidable of global powers and chart its own destiny.
(The article was originally published on Press TV website)