Millions of Iranians poured into the streets across the country on Friday, marking the annual International Quds Day with a thunderous display of solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine and a fierce condemnation of the US-backed Israeli regime’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The rallies, held under the shadow of Washington’s escalating war threats and Tel Aviv’s brutal military campaigns, sent an unmistakable message: Iran and the axis of resistance stand united against imperialist aggression and Zionist occupation.
From the early hours of Friday, Iranians in over 900 cities and tens of thousands of villages took to the streets, their chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” echoing through the rain-soaked air.
In Tehran, the epicenter of the demonstrations, marchers converged from ten designated routes toward the University of Tehran, waving Palestinian flags and portraits of the late Imam Khomeini and the current Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei.
Participants, undeterred by cold weather and heavy rainfall, carried banners denouncing the US-imposed war on Iran and the Israeli regime’s 78-year occupation of Palestinian lands. They condemned the recent 12-day war, the 2025 sedition, and the US-backed “Ramadan War” as part of a broader imperialist plot to destabilize the region.
The atmosphere was electric as crowds responded to the sound of explosions from enemy airstrikes with roars of “Allahu Akbar,” reaffirming their readiness to confront any threat.
In a show of national unity, Iranians from all ethnic and religious backgrounds—Shiite and Sunni, Persian, Kurd, Turkmen, Baloch, and Arab—marched shoulder to shoulder. The rallies were not just a rejection of Zionist crimes but a declaration of Iran’s unbreakable resolve in the face of US-Israeli warmongering.
In the northern province of Golestan, known for its ethnic diversity, over 50 rallies kicked off simultaneously, with participants chanting slogans against the “criminal Zionist regime” and its American backers. Similar scenes unfolded in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, where 50,000 people gathered in Zabol, and in the western city of Kermanshah, where crowds filled the streets despite the rain.
In the holy city of Mashhad, tens of thousands had already gathered at the 15th Khordad Square and Shahid Square more than half an hour before the official start, their presence a testament to the deep-rooted spirit of resistance.
Marchers carried portraits of Ayatollah Khamenei, renewing their allegiance to the Islamic Revolution and vowing to avenge the blood of martyrs killed by US and Israeli aggression. Many signed petitions pledging loyalty to the Leader of Islamic Revolution, while others chanted, “We will take revenge for the blood of all martyrs from Trump, the gambler and liar.”
High-ranking officials, including ministers and members of parliament, joined the rallies.
International Quds Day, established by the late Imam Khomeini, remains a global symbol of resistance against Zionist occupation and a call for the liberation of Jerusalem. This year’s rallies come as the Israeli regime, emboldened by unconditional US support, has intensified its genocide in Gaza and threatened Iran with direct military confrontation.
The Iranian people’s massive turnout is a direct response to the US-Israeli axis’s attempts to impose a new war on Iran and redraw the geopolitical map of West Asia. By taking to the streets in such overwhelming numbers, Iranians have once again demonstrated that the Islamic Republic will never bow to imperialist bullying or abandon its commitment to the Palestinian cause.
As the rallies continue, the world watches a nation that refuses to be cowed by threats or sanctions. The message from Iran is clear: the era of US-Israeli dominance in the region is over, and the resistance axis, led by Iran, will not rest until Palestine is free and the Zionist regime is dismantled.
The Quds Day marches are not just a tradition—they are a promise: that Iran and its allies will stand firm against aggression, defend the oppressed, and never allow the blood of martyrs to be spilled in vain.
