President after meeting with Supreme Leader at Imam Khomeini's (RA) tomb

President Rouhani paid tribute to the Late Imam Khomeini (RA) the Great Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran at his tomb and said: "Imam Khomeini (RA) taught us that this revolution will be protected with people and today, if it were not for people's historic turnout in the election, we would not be able to protect our political system and the Revolution well".

After meeting with the Supreme Leader, President Rouhani visited the mausoleum of the late Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran to renew allegiance to him and the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution and Sacred Defence and said: "We are committed to implement and realise the promises that we made to people".

Congratulating the day of Khorramshahr's freedom, the President said: "Khordad 3^rd is the day of victory against aggression and freedom of Khorramshahr with God's will by Islam warriors and I congratulate this day to the whole Iranian nation and Imam Khomeini's soul".

"Today, we have come before the high spirit of the late Imam to report him that "As you always predicted, said and believed, people's power and presence everywhere can untie knots"," said the President.

"In this election, more than 41 people voted and about 4 million were still in the lines and did not have a chance to vote. In the 12^th round of presidential elections, people marked an incomparable 45-million turnout for the first time in Iran's history," Dr Rouhani continued.

He added: "If today we are proud of this turnout, it is because Imam [Khomeini] showed us this path. Imam was always saying that people must take part in their future and that the yardstick was people's votes".

"Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani was the first one who encouraged me last year to run for the 12^th round of the presidential election. Although he was not among us in the election, he predicted these days well, telling me what great religious, national and revolutionary duties I had," Dr Rouhani added.

In the visit that took place early on Tuesday in the presence of the Custodian of Imam Khomeini's (RA) Tomb, Hojjat al-Eslam val-Muslemin Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, Dr Rouhani paid tribute to Imam Khomeini (RA) and the late Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani.

During the visit, Dr Rouhani paid tribute to the martyrs of Tir 7^th, Shahrivar 8^th, and the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution.