Hundreds of thousands of Iranians held nationwide rallies on Monday to mark the 40th anniversary of the fall of the Shah and the triumph of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Shiite cleric who led an Islamic Revolution that rattles the West to this day.
On Feb. 11, 1979, Iran's army declared its neutrality, paving the way for the collapse of the U.S.-backed monarch, the closest U.S. ally in the Middle East.
State TV showed large crowds defying frigid weather and carrying Iranian flags while chanting "Death to Israel, Death to America," trademark chants of the revolution.