Tehran, November 5 (RHC)-- Iranians have held massive rallies across the country to mark the 35th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran. In the capital, a large group demonstrators gathered outside the building of the former U.S. embassy, also known as the “Den of Espionage,” on Tuesday and chanted slogans against the United States and Israel.

November 4th -- also known as Student Day in Iran -- marks the day of fight against global arrogance. Thirty-five years ago on this day, a group of university students stormed the embassy building. They believed the U.S. mission had turned into a center of spying aimed at overthrowing the Islamic government in Iran following the Islamic Revolution earlier in 1979.

Documents found at the compound later corroborated claims by revolutionary students that the U.S. was using its Tehran embassy to plot the overthrow of Islamic rule in Iran. Fifty-two American nationals from the embassy were held for 444 days until January 20, 1981.

Founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyyed Rouhollah Khomeini later hailed the effort as “a second revolution.”