PHOTO: President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Secretary Mohammad Javad Zarif among marchers in Tehran on Friday


UPDATE 1700 GMT: Addressing the crowd in Azadi Square in Tehran, President Rouhani aimed some of his remarks at the Trump Administration:

This turnout is a response to false remarks of the new White House rulers and the people are telling the world through their presence that the Iranian people must be spoken to with respect and dignity.

The Iranian nation has shown during the past 38 years that it will make anyone who speaks to Iranians with the language of threats regret it.

Rouhani cautioned that, both in the region and the US, inexperienced figures have taken charge. He advised them:

Now they have to speak with the language of respect and praise in front of the Iranian nation.

The nation will respond incisively in the face of threats….The one, who proceeds to threaten our nation and armed forces, should know that our nation is united and vigilant, and will stand up to ill-wishers.

ROUHANI 10-02-17


Iran will mark the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with the regime proclaiming marches by “millions” of Iranians.

The rallies will celebrate the overthrow of the Shah by a mass movement led by Ayatollah Khomeini. Senior officials will join the marches, and President Rouhani will address the crowd at Azadi Square in Tehran.

State outlet Press TV is setting this year’s ceremonies in the context of rising tension with the Trump Administration:

This year’s rallies are of higher significance and look set to be one of Iran’s biggest as they coincide with a political maelstrom in Washington kicked up by US President Donald Trump and his political point men against Tehran.

The Administration declared last week that Iran is “officially on notice” because of ballistic missile tests and Tehran’s support for groups in the Middle East such as Yemen’s Houthi movement. It is holding back from withdrawal from the July 2015 nuclear deal; however, the Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on more Iranian individual and entities for links to the missile program and the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards.

White House officials went farther this week by telling journalists that the Revolutionary Guards itself might be sanctioned. The Supreme Leader’s top aide, Ali Akbar Velayati, responded in an interview with Al Jazeera: “America’s action against the IRGC [Guards] will not affect the IRGC’s support for Hezbollah, Iraq, and Syria.”

Velayati said Trump is an “inexperienced person whose policies are hasty and whose sanctions will be ineffective”. He added that statements by US officials of “all options on the table” are empty threats.

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Less Anti-US Sentiment?

However, there were indications that today’s rallies will not be as hostile to the US. Thomas Erdbrink of The New York Times reports, “Of course there are some anti-Trump posters, but they do not dominate the Tehran rally today.”

Erdbrink adds, “I haven’t seen US flag burnings or home-made effigies of US leaders (rally huge, can’t see everything).”

The regime did provide US and Israeli flags for marchers to step upon….

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Photo: Thomas Erdbrink

And there was at least one US flag burnt:

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Photo: Fars News Agency

But some preferred a more positive message.

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Photo: Thomas Erdbrink

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