Imam Khomeini's trip to Tehran was the reason why he stayed in Tehran for the rest of his life. He was forced to go to Tehran in order to treat his heart attack, and to be near the health centers and the governmental centers of the country. The first year of the revolution showed that despite the establishment of many new organizations in the country, people still turned to Imam Khomeini to solve their problems and give his views regarding different matters.
Tehran- Jamaran; Private meetings with the ImamAfter being treated for 39 days in hospital the Imam was released and stayed at a residence in the Darband area of Tehran. On the 17th of May 1980, the Imam settled down in a small house in Jamaran. This house belonged to one of the religious leaders. The Imam wanted to live in a small house and so he stayed there for the rest of his life.
Imam did all he could to strengthen the roots of the revolution. For instance, on the 4th of February 1980 the Imam authorized the first Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran even though he was on a hospital bed. Furthermore he issued several statements addressing the people of Iran, the leaders of different countries and others, while he was still in hospital.
Eight-year long imposed war
On the 22nd of September 1980 Iraq launched a war against Iran. This war lasted eight years. The Imam's initial reaction was with great calmness and he asked the people to not get worried. He then issued a statement containing seven articles, which informed the military forces, Iranian intelligence and the people of their responsibilities.
Due to the absence of a ready army, the Imam began to recruit people and train them so that they were ready for war. This was such that after a year, the Iranian army became strong and started to successfully attack back. The army regained its strength.
Imam on his way to meet the families of martyrs at Husseiniah Jamaran1981 was one of the most difficult years for the Imam, who with his trust in God and intelligence managed to save the revolution from drowning. During this year, in addition to war, our country was subjected to the assassination of great authorities, internal disagreements of the President with other governmental authorities and the parliamentary verdict which ruled that the President was not fit to run office .
After the election of a new president, a bomb explosion killed both the Prime Minister and the new President. The internal and external threats endangered the survival of the revolution. During this time Imam Khomeini issued promising words to the people which disappointed the enemies. He said: "A country which has moved to be free and independent from other Western and Eastern powers should prepare itself for upcoming occurrences. This is a tradition which has reached us from the beginning of Islam, when the religious people stood firm against all insecurities, hardships and upsets."
Although the year 1981 passed with great difficulties, the year 1982 brought many great victories with it. Imam Khomeini's words boosted the morale of the men, who were ready to sacrifice their lives for him. These men stood against the modern weapons of the enemy and defeated them. These men freed KhoramShahr and other occupied cities from enemy hands. If the super powers had not helped Iraq, Iran would have freed these lands much sooner.
1987 and 1988 were the most devastating years for Iran. In these years, most of Iran's cities especially Tehran were attacked by Iraqi bombs and there were many casualties. The chemical attacks had disastrous consequences both for the military forces and civilians. The help and aid the U.S gave Iraq made the war more complex and destructive. Due to the fact that Imam Khomeini saw the roots of the Islamic Republic getting weaker and weaker, he announced his agreement to end the war.
On the 20th of July 1988, the Imam issued a statement in which he agreed to the conditions of manifesto 598 of the United Nations and stated: "Until to a few days ago, I believed in defense and saw it beneficial for the country and revolution but due to some events and reasons which I will not mention for now… I agreed to end the war and accept the conditions of the manifesto." In the continuation of this statement the Imam said: "For me, announcing my agreement to this issue is worse than taking poison. However, I am satisfied with God's satisfaction and I agreed to this for His satisfaction".
Tehran- Husseiniah Jamaran; Imam giving a speachIraq misinterpreted Imam Khomeini's words as a sign of weakness and attacked Iran with more forces but the people of Iran defeated them and made the possibility of another war on Iran remote. Thus, the most important part of Imam Khomeini's leadership, which lasted 8 years finished. Imam Khomeini did not allow any Iranian land to fall in the hands of the enemy and was successful in getting the country through this challenging eight year phase.
One of the other important instances during Imam Khomeini's life was his letter to Mikhail Gorbachev, who was head of state of the Soviet Union. In his letter, the Imam invited Gorbachev to Islam and monotheism and stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran can easily fill the existing religious vacuum in their system.
On the 13th of February 1989 Imam Khomeini sentenced the author of "Satanic verses" to death. Since then no one has dared to insult Islam in such a way.