TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Millions of Iranians on Sunday marked the anniversary of the eternal departure of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, 28 years ago.
Hundreds of thousands from across Iran descended on his mausoleum south of Tehran to attend commemoration ceremonies.  
Imam Khomeini spearheaded a popular protest against the policies of the tyrannous Pahlavi regime which was a key ally of the U.S. He guided a churning grassroots movement which was seeing the country’s religious values under attack.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Revolution gave identity and independence to Iranian society by toppling the previous tyrannical regime.
Stressing the grandeur of Imam Khomeini’s personality, the Leader noted that every effort must be made to prevent distortion of Imam Khomeini’s personality and ideas through repetition of ideas cherished by him.
"If something that is true is not repeated with all details and specifications, it may be gradually distorted. Most of you know that there are motivations for distorting the personality of the Imam and distorting the revolution, which was the greatest feat of the honorable Imam,” the Leader added.
The Leader said the secret of the success of Imam Khomeini’s movement was that he managed to bring the youth and all people into the arena and to keep them there.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that Imam Khomeini’s ideas, including freedom, social and economic justice, and the need to get rid of U.S. domination were among major factors, which attracted the Iranian youth to the revolution.
The Leader stated that as a result of Imam’s ideas, young people even in those countries that are subservient to the United States, like Saudi Arabia, cherish the idea that their countries must be freed from U.S. domination.
The Leader stated that Imam Khomeini had described the U.S. as the "Great Satan and an unreliable state,” adding that the heads of European countries have confessed that no one can trust Washington, which attests to truth of Imam Khomeini's ideas.
"This is wisdom. The Americans are unreliable with respect to all issues,” Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out.
In another part of his address, the Leader expressed regret that Muslims in some countries, including Yemen, Syria, Bahrain and Libya, were facing numerous problems even in the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
"The Saudi government is bombarding Yemen day and night and exerting pressure on Yemen. Definitely, this is a mistake,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
"The Saudi government must know that if it proceeds with such an approach even for the next 10 or 20 years, it will fail to achieve a victory against the Yemeni people. This is a crime against the innocent people and will bear no fruit.”
The Leader also condemned the "illogical” presence of Saudi Arabia in Bahrain and said the Bahraini government must engage in negotiations with the people of the country.
Ayatollah Khamenei further criticized the wrongful presence of foreign countries in Syria contrary to the will of its government and nation, stressing, "The Syrian issues must be solved through dialogue.”
The Leader warned that enemies were waging "proxy wars” in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen as well as other parts of the Muslim world.
Ayatollah Khamenei said attacks by Daesh in Europe and elsewhere show that Western policies in the Middle East have backfired.
"Today, Daesh is being pushed out from its birthplace in Iraq and Syria and is moving to other countries - Afghanistan, Pakistan and even the Philippines and European countries."
"This is a fire that (Western powers) themselves ignited and now has backfired on them," the Leader said.