Hundreds of thousands of individuals participated in rallies across Iran to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. During these demonstrations, some protestors burned U.S. and Israeli flags amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which is supported by Tehran. President Ebrahim Raisi, in a televised address, accused the United States and certain Western nations of supporting “the Zionist regime’s crimes against humanity in Gaza.”
State media reported that millions attended these rallies, where chants of “Death to Israel, Death to America!” echoed—a customary practice during state-sponsored events marking the revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed monarchy in 1979. Images circulated by state media depicted marchers hanging an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The recent conflict between Israel and Hamas has reverberated across the Middle East, with Iran-backed groups launching attacks on Israeli and U.S. targets. In response to a deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan, U.S. forces conducted strikes on Iran-aligned factions in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
Support for the Palestinian cause has been a cornerstone of Iran’s foreign policy since the revolution, presenting the Shi’ite-majority nation as a leader in the Muslim world. Hamas is aligned with Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” a regional coalition that includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Syrian government, Shi’ite militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen.
Iran has repeatedly stated that it will not directly intervene in Gaza-related conflicts unless attacked by Israel or the United States. Participants in the anniversary marches included soldiers, students, clerics, and high-ranking political and military figures. Additionally, black-clad women with young children were seen among the crowds, many carrying portraits of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
