Syed Zafar Mahdi
11 February 2024•Update: 12 February 2024
TEHRAN, Iran
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday called for the expulsion of Israel from the United Nations over its deadly war on the Gaza Strip as the country marked the 45th anniversary of its Islamic revolution with nationwide rallies.
In a public address at the iconic Azadi Square in Tehran, Raisi said Iran proposes to expel Israel from the UN as it has failed to adhere to the world body's resolutions.
He called for an immediate halt to the bombardment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, adding that Israel is "doomed."
At least 28,176 Palestinians have been killed and 67,784 others injured in Israel’s deadly offensive on Gaza following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday in Tehran and other major Iranian cities to mark 45 years of the 1979 revolution that ended the 54-year rule of Iran's Pahlavi dynasty and led to the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
The events that led to the expulsion of the last Pahlavi ruler – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi – also caused the breakdown in diplomatic relations between Tehran and Washington.
Following the 1979 revolution, Iran also severed its diplomatic and trade ties with Israel and refused to accept the legitimacy of the government in Tel Aviv.
During Sunday's rally in Tehran, which passed through the busiest intersections of the city, people chanted vociferous slogans such as “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
People were also seen setting ablaze the flags of Israel and the US.
This year's rally came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over a string of attacks on US interests in the region that Washington has blamed on Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.
