Why November 4 in Iran is called “National Day of Fighting Global Arrogance”

Pars Today – November 4 is more than just a date in the calendar of Iran’s Islamic Revolution; it is a day that has remained in the memory of the Iranian nation as a symbol of sacred anger against domination and of awakening in the face of humiliation.

In Iran, November 4 represents the story of three generations of resistance: a generation that witnessed the exile of Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul), the Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran; a generation that saw the blood of students spilled on the streets of Tehran; and a generation that, by seizing the Den of Espionage (former U.S. Embassy in Tehran), raised the cry of independence to the world.

According to Pars Today, the first incident of November 4th (13 Aban in Iranian Calendar) dates back to 1964, when the Pahlavi regime, following Imam Khomeini’s protest against the approval of the “Capitulations” granting legal immunity to American advisors, exiled him to Turkey.

That exile marked the serious beginning of the clergy and the Iranian people’s resistance against U.S. political influence in Iran and is remembered in the nation’s historical memory as the first public movement against foreign domination.

Fourteen years later, on November 4, 1978, as the Pahlavi regime was on the brink of collapse, thousands of Tehran students gathered in front of the University of Tehran to protest against tyranny and in support of Imam Khomeini’s movement. Pahlavi regime forces opened fire on the students, killing a number of them. From that day, the blood of Iranian youth became one of the enduring symbols of the Islamic Revolution’s victory.

The third event, in 1979, took on a global significance. Students following Imam Khomeini’s line seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, an action referred to by Imam Khomeini as the “Second Revolution,” and exposed documents revealing U.S. interference and espionage in Iran’s internal affairs. This move opened a new chapter in Iran-West relations and officially established November 4 as the “National Day of Fighting Global Arrogance” in Iran’s calendar.

Since then, 13 Aban has not only served as a reminder of a historical day but has also become a symbol of the Iranian people’s continued pursuit of independence—a day that post-revolution generations view as an opportunity to reflect on identity, resistance, and the safeguarding of national dignity.