Islamic Iran has become "inspiration" for many countries, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday at the start of festivities marking the 31st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, DPA reported.
The late supreme leader Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran on February 1, 1979. Ten days later, the Iranian monarchy was toppled and the Islamic Republic of Iran formed.
The 10-day festivities will culminate February 11 with state-run mass rallies staged nationwide to demonstrate support for the Islamic establishment.
State television quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that Ayatollah Khomeini's return was a "start of a new era which opened new windows to humanity, broke all dead ends and put an end to world imperialism."
The president added that the Islamic revolution has since become global, an "inspiration for many countries."
He said the Iranian system was stronger and more stable than ever, and that people were more determined to implement its goals.