Iranians March Under Fire
Millions brave bombardments to mark International Quds Day
Iranians in their millions poured into the streets nationwide to commemorate International Quds Day, a major annual event aimed at expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause and condemning Israeli atrocities in Palestine.
The event, which falls on the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan, this year coincided with an all-out US-Israeli war on Iran which broke out on February 28.
In the capital Tehran, enemy warplanes carried out airstrikes as people were marching toward the iconic Enghelab Square, causing casualties.
The aggression has claimed over 1,300 Iranian lives and left more than 10,000 injured, with a significant number of deaths being children.
The demonstrators, chanting slogans and waving Iranian and Palestinian flags, renewed their allegiance to Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, who was declared as Iran’s new Leader on March 9 by the Assembly of Experts to succeed his father, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in an airstrike on his residence in Tehran during the first day of the US-Israeli offensive.
They held portrays of the new Leader, signaling their support for his leadership and commitment to the ideals of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In Tehran’s Enghelab Square, participants chanted “God is Great” in response to explosions that were heard during the rally.
The atmosphere of defiance and solidarity was palpable, with people pledging their loyalty to the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and his vision for the liberation of Palestine.
Top officials attended the demonstrations, with President Masoud Pezeshkian seen walking alone on the street, without any security escort.
Speaking at the rally in Tehran, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani rebuked US President Donald Trump for his failure to understand the resolve of the Iranian people.
“The Iranian people are a determined and capable nation, and the more pressure Trump applies, the stronger our will becomes,” Larijani said.
Responding to a question about Israeli attacks on Quds Day participants, Larijani said that such actions were driven by “fear and desperation,” adding that air raids laid bare the Israeli regime’s weakening position.
International Quds Day was first proposed by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, who designated the last Friday of Ramadan as a day of global solidarity with the Palestinians.
The initiative is aimed at preventing the Palestinian cause from being forgotten amid other global issues. Over the years, Quds Day has become a symbol of resistance against the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel, with rallies held in numerous countries worldwide, including across West Asia, North Africa, and in Western nations like the US, the UK, France, and Germany.