The theocracy of Iran celebrated this Sunday (11) the 45th anniversary of the triumph of the 1979 Islamic Revolution with calls for the end of Israel, at a time of greater tension in the Middle East due to the war in the Gaza Strip.
Thousands of Iranians took to the country's streets chanting the customary “death to the United States” and “death to Israel” to commemorate the Islamic Revolution, which overthrew Shah Mohamad Reza Pahlavi in 1979 to establish a theocratic system.
A festive mood prevailed in the popular Azadi Square in central Tehran, with women dressed in the traditional black chador accompanied by children amid vendors selling balloons and other items trying to take advantage of the large crowd.
Calls for the end of Israel
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called for Israel's expulsion from the UN for “crimes” committed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war in October last year, which the terrorist group Hamas, which started the war with an attack on civilians, claims to have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.
“Our proposal is to expel the Zionist regime (Israel) from the United Nations because it violated many resolutions, laws and international agreements,” Raisi told the audience present.
The Iranian leader said Palestine is now the “main issue of humanity” and reiterated the call to cut political and commercial ties with Israel in order to “destroy” it.
“The Zionist regime (Israel) is doomed to failure. The time has come for the death of the (Israeli) regime,” declared Raisi.
The Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel are bitter enemies, pose an existential threat to each other, compete for regional hegemony and wage a secret war of cyberattacks, assassinations and sabotage.
Tehran also leads the so-called Axis of Resistance, an informal alliance of militant organizations, such as the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah (in Lebanon) and Yemen's Houthi rebels, among others, whose main objective is to confront Israel.
Raisi also said the Islamic Republic of Iran carries “a message of peace, independence and resistance against enemies,” a term he frequently uses to refer to Israel and the United States.
Viewpoint shared by the public
“The people's participation in this celebration is an endorsement of the government, especially given the delicate situation in the world, especially in the region. Foreign powers are keeping an eye on these demonstrations and, if they see that popular support for the revolution has diminished, they will try to do something” , said a 50-year-old cleric who preferred not to have his name revealed.
A 42-year-old employee of a government company, who also preferred not to reveal her name, emphasized that she was participating in the anniversary to frustrate enemies and not leave the supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) alone.
But not everyone shares this opinion.
On Saturday night, coinciding with fireworks to celebrate the revolution, some residents of Tehran shouted “death to the dictator” from their windows, a reference to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in a sign of discontent among part of the population. against the Islamic Republic.
Military power
Military authorities took advantage of the occasion to display part of their military arsenal during the celebrations.
In Azadi Square, the Hach Qassem Soleimani missile was displayed, named in honor of the general who led the Quds Force (Jerusalem) of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and who was assassinated by the United States in Baghdad in 2020.
Also on display were the Simorq satellite-carrying rocket, the Sejil missile and the Shahed 136, Shahed 171, Simorgh and Mohajer 6 drones, which delighted many of the participants who took selfies in front of the Iranian weaponry. Iranian drones have already been used by Putin against Ukraine, a sign of collaboration between autocracies. Iran has been a member of the BRICS bloc, which includes Brazil, since last month.
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