Iran’s anti-America rally draws tens of thousands

TEHRAN, Iran – In Tehran’s largest anti-U.S. rally in years, tens of thousands of demonstrators joined Monday in chants of “death to America” as hard-liners directed a major show of resolve against President Hassan Rouhani’s outreach to Washington more than a generation after crowds on the same streets stormed and occupied the U.S. Embassy.

Such American-bashing protests occur every year outside the former embassy compound to mark the anniversary of the 1979 takeover following the Islamic Revolution. But the latest demonstration had a dual purpose of sending the boldest warning yet to Rouhani’s government over whether it can expand dialogue with the U.S. or offer the concessions needed to possibly settle the nuclear impasse with the West.

“Fighting the global arrogance and hostile policies of America is the symbol of our national solidarity,” said Saeed Jalili, who lost to Rouhani in June’s election and later was replaced as the country’s top nuclear negotiator.

The choice of Jalili as the main speaker to the crowd showed how high the rifts reach in Iran.

Jalili is a leading voice of dissent over Rouhani’s overtures to Washington, but he is also a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has given critical support to Rouhani’s initiatives. The growing tensions have left Khamenei – the ultimate decision-maker in Iran – in the unusual role of domestic diplomat.

He had stood by Rouhani in apparent hopes that the nuclear talks and outreach can ease Iran’s isolation from the West and roll back painful sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program. At the same time, he cannot ignore Rouhani’s critics and seeks a middle ground built around his comments that America remains untrustworthy but Iran is strong enough to pursue talks and exchanges.

Another key test comes later this week when nuclear talks resume in Geneva between Iran and six world powers including the U.S. envoys. Negotiators left last month’s session expressing hope that Rouhani’s election – and full backing from Khamenei – could open room for progress in closing the gap between Western fears that Iran could eventually produce nuclear weapons and Iran’s claims that it only seeks reactors for energy and medical isotopes.

Any stumbles in the talks, however, will likely bring even greater protest backlash from hard-liners such as the Revolutionary Guard and its vast paramilitary network.

In a symbolic show of force, they slammed back at appeals by Rouhani’s backers to drop the long-standing chant of “death to America” in light of the groundbreaking exchanges opened in late September during the annual U.N. General Assembly – which included a call from President Barack Obama to Rouhani as the Iranian president headed to the airport. Ties between the two countries were severed after the embassy siege, which began a hostage crisis with 52 people held for 444 days.

Outside the former embassy’s brick walls – covered with anti-U.S. murals – students carried a model of a centrifuge used in uranium enrichment. A slogan on it read: “Result of resistance against sanctions: 18,000 active centrifuges in Iran.”