Iran is holding 10 days of celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that overthrew the former ruler, the Shah.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the revolution was "lively and alive".
The BBC reports most Iranians are still proud of the independence they won in 1979. But it says many in Iran would like more democracy and personal freedoms.
Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran from exile in Paris on 1 February, 1979. It took only 10 days before the Shah's regime collapsed.
