Iranians mark anniversary of victory day in 1979 revolution

TEHRAN, Iran — Waving Iranian flags, chanting “Death to America” and burning U.S. and Israeli flags, hundreds of thousands of people poured out onto the streets across Iran on Monday, marking the date that’s considered victory day in the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

On Feb. 11 that year, Iran’s military stood down after days of street battles, allowing the revolutionaries to sweep across the country while the government of U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi resigned and the Islamic Republic was born.

In Tehran, despite the rain, crowds massed in the central Azadi, or Freedom, Square waving Iranian flags and burning U.S. and Israeli flags.

Iranian state TV ran archive footage of the days of the uprising and played revolutionary songs. It later broadcast footage showing crowds across the country of 80 million.

Every year, the anniversary festivities start on Feb. 1 — the day Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from France after 14 years in exile to become the supreme leader as Shiite clerics took power. The celebrations continue for 10 days, climaxing on Feb. 11.

This year’s anniversary comes as Iran grapples with the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s decision last May to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal and restore tough U.S. sanctions.

Speaking from a podium in central Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani addressed the crowds for nearly 45 minutes, lashing out at Iran’s enemies — the U.S. and Israel — and claiming their efforts to “bring down” the country through sanctions will not succeed.

EBRAHIM NOROOZI/AP A woman holds an effigy of President Donald Trump and a poster with pictures of Supreme Leaders Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during a rally.