PNN: President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and the Iranian people on the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
According to Radio Pakistan, President Zardari said Pakistan and Iran share ties rooted in common history, language, culture and geography.
He said he hoped the “spirit of brotherhood” would continue to support prosperity and stability in both countries and the wider region.
He also extended wishes for the supreme leader’s good health and offered prayers for peace, progress and prosperity for the people of Iran.
The Iranian Revolution
Iran’s Islamic Revolution refers to the mass protest movement of 1978–79 that ended the monarchy of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and led to the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The upheaval drew support from a broad mix of groups, including religious activists, secular nationalists and leftists, who opposed the shah’s authoritarian rule and, for many, what they saw as excessive foreign influence in Iranian affairs.
After months of strikes and street demonstrations, the Shah left Iran in January 1979, and the exiled cleric Ruhollah Khomeini returned to the country on February 1. The monarchy collapsed on February 11, 1979.
A referendum held later in 1979 approved the establishment of an Islamic republic, and a new political order took shape with clerical oversight at its core.
In Iran, the anniversary is observed on February 11, or Bahman 22 according to the Persian calendar, with large rallies held across the country, as per the Iranian Republic News Agency.
The date concludes the “Ten-Day Dawn” commemorations, which begin around February 1 and mark the period from Khomeini’s return to the fall of the monarchy.
Iran marks anniversary under US threat
Iran’s president vowed on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic would not bow to outside aggression, as it marked the anniversary with events overshadowed by the looming threat of US military action, AFP reports.
According to AFP, protesters renewed anti-government chants from the balconies of residential blocks, in defiance of an ongoing crackdown on opposition to the clerical system, which US-funded rights groups such as Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) say has seen security forces shoot thousands dead.
US President Donald Trump has not ruled out strikes against Tehran, although he has tied his decision to a deal on the Iranian nuclear programme rather than the treatment of protesters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who wants a tougher stance against Tehran, was due to hold talks with Trump on Wednesday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff held indirect talks on the nuclear issue in Oman on Friday, although it remains unclear when, or even if, a new round might be held, despite optimistic statements from Tehran.
Iran’s supreme national security council head Ali Larijani followed this up with talks in Oman on Tuesday, and he was now heading for discussions in US ally Qatar, one of the Gulf states seeking to mediate a peaceful outcome.
Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Trump, in a telephone call, discussed “international efforts aimed at de-escalation and strengthening regional security and peace”, the royal court said Wednesday.
“Will not yield”
In a speech at Azadi Square in the capital for the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not yield to “excessive demands” from Washington.
“Our Iran will not yield in the face of aggression, but we are continuing dialogue with all our strength with neighbouring countries to establish peace and tranquillity in the region,” he said.
Israel and the West claim that Tehran is seeking a nuclear weapon, but Pezeshkian again said the atomic programme was entirely peaceful and that Iran was ready for “any verification” by inspectors.
He was speaking as people filled the square and others across the country waved flags of the Islamic Republic to mark its main revolutionary holiday.
“We will disappoint our enemies”
People brandished images of Trump with the slogan “we will disappoint our enemies”, an AFP journalist said.
The protests and threat of US military action have posed a major challenge for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s number one, who took up his post for life in 1989 after the death of Khomeini.
Late Tuesday, as authorities set off fireworks to mark the event, people took to balconies in Tehran to chant slogans including “death to Khamenei” and “death to the dictator”, according to footage shared by protest monitor channels on Telegram and X, including Vahid Online and Mamlekate.
However, Vahid Online has seen scrutiny from many on X, who say that he puts fake audio over otherwise pro-government videos.
AFP said they verified three such videos posted by Mamlekate.
US-funded group Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has claimed that 6,984 people, including 6,490 protesters, were killed during the protests as authorities launched the crackdown.
Meanwhile, at least 52,623 people have been arrested in the ensuing crackdown, it added.
Those arrested most recently have included figures in the reformist movement inside Iran who supported Pezeshkian’s 2024 election campaign.
The chanting of the slogans late Tuesday marked a “continuation of the nationwide protests despite the prevailing security atmosphere and widespread control measures,” HRANA said.