Ceremony to mark Imam Khomeini's sad demise starts in Tehran

The Leader is to address the large gathering which began at 18:00 pm local time (13:30 GMT) on Sunday with the participation of about 250,000 mourners from the capital Tehran and other cities of Iran.

Some 300 journalists including 30 foreign reporters are covering the event in Tehran. The ceremony is aired live on the state TV and Radio.

People in Iran and other countries including Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan Republic, Russia, UK and many other places attended various ceremonies and renewed their allegiance to the late Imam ideals.

Imam Khomeini was the leader of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah (king) of the country.

In the Western world he is known as Ayatollah Khomeini, an Iranian Shia Muslim religious leader, philosopher, revolutionary, and politician who was named Man of the Year in 1979 by American news magazine TIME for his international influence.

He died in June 3, 1989, at the age of 89 and millions of Iranians mourned his death.

Iranians and lovers of the late Imam worldwide mark his death anniversary each year by holding various mourning ceremonies. The occasion is marked in other countries by ceremonies organized by Iran's embassies.

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