Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says US cannot accept victory of 'great nation'

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday said that the United States finds it ‘unbearable’ that the Islamic revolution remains in place even after 41 years of bringing down its ally, the Shah. As per international media reports, Rouhani while speaking at a rally in Tehran said that it was intolerable for the US to accept the victory of a ‘great nation’ and the fact that a superpower has been driven out of the land. 

Rally to mark 41st anniversary of the Islamic revolution

As per reports, the rally in Tehran was organised to mark the anniversary of the fall of the last Iranian monarch, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. To commemorate the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, tens of thousands of Iranians poured into the streets of Tehran and other major Iranian cities on February 11.

According to Iran's local media, rallies took place in at least half a dozen cities outside the capital including Mashhad, Ahvaz and Kerman, with people holding signs that read, 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel'.

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The celebration also took place against a backdrop of escalating tension with the United States. According to reports, missiles were also put on display as part of the anniversary celebrations and Irans' state TV even showed archival footage of missile launches and the underground missile storage facilities as part of its special coverage. However, it was further reported that the missile program is not intended for attacks on neighbouring countries. 

US-Iran tensions have skyrocketed ever since Trump withdrew from the JCPOA nuclear deal back in 2018 and last year Trump also reimposed all sanctions that had been lifted under the landmark 2015 deal.

On January 8, Iran further fired multiple missiles on Iraqi military bases housing the US troops and called the attack it's retaliation to US' killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. The latest surge in tensions has also prompted calls for de-escalation from the international community that fears a wider conflict in the Middle East.

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