Commemorative ceremonies are being held nationwide to honor the memory of the late leader, widely known as the architect of the Islamic Revolution.

The main ceremony is taking place at Imam Khomeini’s mausoleum in southern Tehran, attended by senior Iranian officials, foreign dignitaries, and thousands of people from across the country.

An official said Imam Khomeini’s mausoleum’s gates were opened to the public at 6:30 am on Thursday, June 4, while the official ceremony would begin at 9:00 am with Quran recitations and eulogies.

A message from Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei is also scheduled to be read at the shrine. Organizers said the message would be translated into major world languages and disseminated internationally.

The official added that commemorative events marking the anniversary are also being held in a number of Islamic and non-Islamic countries. Foreign media outlets have dispatched a larger number of journalists than in previous years to cover the ceremonies.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini led the Islamic Revolution that toppled the US-backed Pahlavi monarchy in 1979 and established the Islamic Republic through a national referendum in which more than 98 percent of voters endorsed the new political system.

After years of exile in Turkey, Iraq, and France, Imam Khomeini guided a broad popular movement that ultimately brought an end to decades of monarchical rule in Iran. Upon his return to the country in February 1979, millions of Iranians welcomed him, marking a turning point in the nation’s contemporary history.

He laid the foundations of a political system centered on national independence, popular participation, and resistance to foreign domination, principles that continue to shape the Islamic Republic’s policies and identity.

Imam Khomeini passed away on June 3, 1989, at the age of 86, nearly a decade after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. His funeral drew millions of mourners and remains one of the largest public gatherings in modern history.

More than three decades after his demise, Imam Khomeini continues to be remembered in Iran and beyond as a transformative figure whose ideas and leadership left a lasting impact on the political landscape of the region and the Muslim world.