Hundreds of thousands of Iranians participated on Friday in a rally organized by the regime in Tehran, in the largest display of defiance of its kind since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February.
Participants said they were prepared to take up arms and defend the country after months of war and a worsening economic situation in Iran, the Associated Press reported.
The rally was held as part of an initiative called “Janfada Iran,” meaning “those who sacrifice their lives for Iran.” Participants marched through central Tehran in combat uniforms and carried flags, while crowds along the streets cheered them on. Some protesters stepped on US and Israeli flags and chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
In the days before the rally, state media called on the public to join the initiative and announced that limited training in the use of assault rifles would soon begin.
The volunteers are intended to serve as an additional layer of defense alongside the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia, which has played a central role over the years in suppressing protests against the regime.
Tehran IRGC commander General Hassan Hassanzadeh told state television that more than 600,000 people had already registered for the program and that the regime expects more than 1 million people to participate in training. Iranian television estimated that more than 300,000 people took to the streets of the capital on Friday, although the figures could not be independently verified.
Basij head says recruits will be 'nightmare' for Iran's enemies
The new head of the Basij, Hossein Taeb, announced at the opening of the rally that the volunteers would be ready for “comprehensive defense” and that similar events would soon be held in additional cities. He said the new recruits would become a “nightmare” for Iran’s enemies.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, military commanders, and other senior regime officials watched the parade.
“I came to tell Trump that we Iranians are not afraid of his threats against our homeland,” said Marzieh Afaghi, 24, who attended the rally with her husband and young child. “No one throughout history has managed to invade Iran and remain there.”
The rally also served as an opportunity for the regime to display military equipment. Air defense systems were deployed on the streets, and female IRGC fighters wearing black head coverings were seen alongside machine guns mounted on vehicles.
The IRGC also displayed drones of the type used in attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran claims responsibility for tanker attack in Strait of Hormuz
At the same time as the events in Tehran, Iran claimed responsibility for an attack on the oil tanker Trend, sailing under the flag of Togo.
According to state television, the tanker was targeted because of what it described as an “illegal attempt” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a vessel was struck by a projectile and that a fire broke out onboard, which was later extinguished.
According to UKMTO, the number of vessels passing with US military assistance off the coast of Oman averaged 24 per day over the past week. However, overall maritime traffic in the area remains about 90% lower than in the period before the war.
Iranian attacks and threats in the strait have severely disrupted oil and natural gas shipments from Gulf countries to markets around the world.
Expanded Basij enables greater suppression of future protests
According to AP, the recruitment initiative also has domestic significance: expanding forces aligned with the Basij could strengthen the regime’s ability to suppress future protests.
In January, shortly before the outbreak of the war, Iran saw some of the largest nationwide demonstrations in the country’s history. The protests began over the economic crisis and expanded into calls against the government.
Human rights activists claimed that more than 7,000 people were killed in the crackdown on the protests and that tens of thousands were arrested.
In May, government officials claimed that more than 30 million of Iran’s roughly 90 million residents had volunteered through an online form or at public events to sacrifice their lives for the regime.