Iran on Wednesday commemorated the 47th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution, even as the country faces growing internal and external pressures.
The anniversary comes as U.S. President Donald Trump suggested sending another aircraft carrier group to the Middle East, while many Iranians continue to protest the government’s deadly crackdown on nationwide demonstrations last year. Trump’s comments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, a long-time critic of Tehran, visited Washington to push for tougher terms in ongoing nuclear negotiations.
Amid the celebrations, a top Iranian security official traveled to Qatar after earlier visiting Oman, a key mediator in the nuclear talks. Iranian state media showed thousands of people rallying across the country in support of the Islamic Republic and 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, reports from Tehran also captured citizens shouting “Death to the dictator!” from their homes as fireworks lit the night sky.
In public squares, many waved images of Khamenei and the revolution’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, alongside Iranian and Palestinian flags, while chanting slogans against the U.S. and Israel. President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist, was expected to speak at Tehran’s Azadi Square.
While a segment of the population remains loyal to the theocracy, including members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard that crushed last year’s protests, others participate in state-sponsored events more for social or professional reasons.
Iran warns Netanyahu’s US visit could undermine nuclear talks
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to Russian media, stressed the country’s lingering mistrust of the U.S., recalling the June attack on Iranian sites amid previous negotiations. He indicated that Tehran still sees a chance for a nuclear deal “better than Obama’s” 2015 agreement, which Trump withdrew the U.S. from during his first term.
The U.S. has already deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other forces to the region. Tensions remain high, with U.S. forces recently shooting down an Iranian drone and intervening in the Strait of Hormuz to protect a U.S.-flagged vessel. Trump told Axios he is considering sending a second carrier, though details are not yet confirmed.
The anniversary highlights the complex challenges Iran faces as it balances internal dissent, hardline loyalty, and international pressure over its nuclear ambitions.