Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took part in a government-organised rally on Friday, pledging to defend their country in the biggest such show of support since the United States and Israel launched attacks in February.
The Iranian government has been trying to strengthen national unity as the country’s economy comes under increasing pressure from a US naval blockade of Iranian ports and new US sanctions aimed at further hurting Tehran’s economy.
The number of people who volunteered to receive basic military training and help defend Iran varied in official estimates. The campaign, called “Janfaday-e Iran,” meaning “those who sacrifice their lives for Iran,” saw volunteers march through central Tehran in military uniforms while carrying flags and receiving cheers from crowds.
State media have spent days urging Iranians to join the campaign, saying training with assault rifles would begin soon. The volunteers are expected to provide an additional layer of security alongside Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard and its volunteer Basij force.
Tehran’s Guard chief, Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh, told state television that more than 600,000 people had registered for the programme, while more than 1 million were expected to undergo training. The broadcaster estimated Friday morning that more than 300,000 people had gathered in the streets.
Hossein Taeb, the newly appointed head of the Basij, said in a speech at the start of the rally that the volunteers would be prepared for “full-fledged defense” and that similar rallies would soon be held in other cities.
Taeb said the new trainees would become a “nightmare” for Iran’s enemies. President Masoud Pezeshkian, military commanders and other senior officials watched the march.
Some demonstrators stepped on US and Israeli flags, while others chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
“I am here to tell (US President Donald) Trump that we Iranians have no fear about his threats against our homeland,” said Marzieh Afaghi, 24, who attended the rally with her husband and toddler.
“No one in history could invade Iran and remain there,” she said.
The rally also featured Iranian military equipment, including anti-aircraft systems. Female Revolutionary Guard members wearing black headscarves were seen sitting beside machine guns mounted on trucks.
The Guard also displayed drones that have been widely used against ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has asserted control over the strategic waterway since the war began, severely disrupting shipments of oil and natural gas from the Gulf region to global markets.
Volunteers could strengthen crackdown capabilities
Friday’s rally also highlighted the possibility that hardliners such as Taeb within Iran’s leadership could have greater support to deal with future protests against the country’s theocratic system.
Iran witnessed some of its largest nationwide protests in January, shortly before the war began. The demonstrations initially focused on the struggling economy but later expanded to broader grievances.
Activists have said a government crackdown killed more than 7,000 people and led to tens of thousands of arrests. Those figures could not be independently verified by The Associated Press.
In May, Iranian government officials said more than 30 million people in the country, which has a population of about 90 million, had volunteered through an online form or at public gatherings to sacrifice their lives for the theocracy.