Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says a face-off has been going on between the US and Iran for the past 40 years, in which the United States has always been defeated.

On November 4, 1979, two weeks after Shah had been allowed to enter the United States, a group of students took over the US embassy in Iran.

Iranians hold nationwide rallies to mark the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran.