iranians rally to mark revolution

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini 's return from exile in 1979 sparked the revolution [AFP] Tens of thousands of Iranians chanting anti-US slogans have rallied in the capital Tehran, celebrating 30 years of the Iranian revolution. Addressing the rally on Tuesday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, said Iran was ready for dialogue with the US provided the talks were based on mutual respect. As many in the crowd carried placards reading "Death to America" and set alight US flags, Ahmadinejad said: "The new US administration has announced that they want to produce change and pursue the course of dialogue. "It is quite clear that real change must be fundamental and not tactical. It is clear the Iranian nation welcomes real changes." "The Iranian nation is ready to hold talks but talks in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect," he said. Revolution hailed Ahmadinejad also lauded the revolution that toppled the US-backed Shah. "The Iranian revolution, although it started in Iran and is the core of the Iranian nation, it belongs to all nations anywhere in the world. "The Iranian revolution has brought great results. Over the past 30 years, Iran has been moving to the top. It has increased its speed in the fields of scientific research. In depth A series of reports and videos on modern Iran "Because of suppression and relying on a foreign country, the scientific research work had not been developing," the Iranian president said, referring to US and western sanctions imposed on Iran. Seyed Mohammad, a student at Mirandi University in Tehran, told Al Jazeera: "The people burning the US flag shows how angry they are at the US. [US president Barack] Obama says Iran should change, but Iran sees it the other way round." He added: "Hundreds of thousands of American troops surround Iran, not the other way round. America has imposed sanctions that have ruined the economy. They [Iranians] do not yet trust this administration. " Atomic weapons Washington and many western nations accuse Tehran of covertly seeking to develop atomic weapons, a charge Iran denies. Each year, Iran commemorates the uprising and victory of the revolution on February 11, 1979. This year the anniversary falls on February 10 because it is a leap year on the Iranian calendar. For the past 10 days Tehran has been festooned with flags to mark the return from exile in France on February 1, 1979 of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic republic. His return led to the revolution. The Islamic Republic was proclaimed on April 1, 1979, and its constitution was adopted in a referendum on December 12 the same year. Iranian television has been broadcasting archive footage of the revolution daily.