TEHRAN – Thousands of Iranians accumulated on the streets Saturday to mark the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” They condemned Washington’s enhance of Israel because it moves the Gaza Strip in its warfare in opposition to Hamas.
The rally — which was once known as for by way of the state — got here as the Israel-Hamas warfare entered its fourth week. About 1,400 folks in Israel had been killed and over 240 taken hostage after Hamas’ wonder assault on Oct.7. The Israeli retaliatory operation has killed over 9,000 folks in the Gaza Strip.
People assembled out of doors the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, with some burning American and Israeli flags.
Protesters stomped on photographs of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden. Others carried banners calling the U.S., “Great Satan.” The banner on the primary podium learn: “We trample America under our feet.”
The parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, addressed the crowds while criticizing U.S. enhance of Israel.
“We consider the criminal U.S. a principal culprit in all these crimes,” in Gaza and in opposition to Palestinians, he stated.
Qalibaf claimed that the Hamas assault on Israel has led to “irreparable” intelligence and safety injury to the Israeli state.
In a remark printed on behalf of the protesters at the finish of the commemoration, they known as for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza and warned the U.S., Britain, and France that the disaster would possibly make bigger in the area. The remark ended with a vow that Iranians would stand by way of Palestine “until final victory.”
The demonstration started in Palestine Square in central Tehran. Protesters walked for just about two kilometers (1.32 miles) until they reached the former U.S. Embassy compound. State TV confirmed pictures of an identical rallies in different Iranian towns and cities.
The annual rally is a venue for anti-Western sentiments and in most cases attracts offended crowds.
On Wednesday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized the U.S. for its enhance of Israel, pronouncing Israel would were paralyzed with out American enhance.
He known as for an finish to the Israel-Hamas warfare and for Muslim-majority international locations to halt financial cooperation with the Jewish state.
Iran is a recognized backer of anti-Israeli militant teams comparable to the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad in addition to the Lebanese Hezbollah.
The U.S. State Department issued a remark on the forty fourth anniversary of the embassy takeover.
“We are grateful to our diplomats who served in Tehran and to all the American diplomats who work every day to advance our interests in dangerous situations around the world,” spokesperson Matthew Miller stated.
Miller additionally stated that “we condemn Iran’s continued detention of foreign citizens for use as bargaining chips.
“We condemn the Iranian regime’s ongoing support for Hamas and other terrorist groups across the Middle East region that engage in the abhorrent practice of hostage-taking,” he stated.