Rallies in Iran marking the anniversary of the 1979 revolution have turned into a display of public anger towards Donald Trump.
Thousands of people sympathetic to the ruling establishment took to the streets of Tehran and other cities on Friday to participate in state-sponsored celebrations of the Islamic revolution victory day. Some brought “Death to America” signs and Trump effigies and set fire to US and Israeli flags.
The rallies and their anti-American sentiment are common in Iran around this time of year, but have taken on an extra bite after the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, thanked the US president for “making our life easy” and showing “the real face of America”, and urged people to come out on Friday in big numbers to “respond to his words”.
Late last month Trump imposed travel restrictions on nationals from seven majority-Muslim countries including Iran and said he was putting Iran “on notice” because of a recent ballistic missile test.
On Friday Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, a relatively moderate figure who secured a nuclear deal with the west in 2015, addressed the crowd in Tehran’s Azadi (Freedom) Square. The choice of speaker suggested Iran’s religious leaders wanted to project a less antagonistic approach than in previous years, when more hardline figures have taken the stage.
Rouhani said the large turnout was a response to “false remarks of the new White House rulers”. “Some inexperienced figures in the region and America are threatening Iran,” he said, referring to Trump and his regional Arab allies. “They should know that the language of threats has never worked with Iran.
“Our nation is vigilant and will make those threatening Iran regret it. They should learn to respect Iran and Iranians. We will strongly confront any warmongering policies.”
Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds force, the external arm of the elite Revolutionary Guards, was seen among the crowd.
Some demonstrators tried to differentiate between the US political leadership and the American people. “American people are welcome and invited to visit Iran,” said one sign. “Down with the US regime, long live US people,” said another.
Iranians used the hashtag #LoveBeyondFlags on Twitter to express gratitude for Americans who opposed the travel ban.
On 1 February 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic revolution, returned to Tehran from exile in Paris, two weeks after the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, had fled Iran. The Iranian military, which was under US influence, soon surrendered, and within months Khomeini was declared the supreme leader of a new Islamic Republic.
Relations with the US were tense from the start, because America was closely identified with the Shah’s regime, and in November 1979 links with Washington broke down completely when a group of students stormed the US embassy and took 52 diplomats hostage.
Direct talks between Iran and the US were held under the Obama administration, but relations have again become frosty since Trump took power.
