Iran Commemorates US Embassy Seizure with Anti-US and Anti-Israel Rallies

Iran marked the 47th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the United States embassy in Tehran on Wednesday with large-scale rallies. During these events, officials celebrated what they described as significant “defeats” for the US and Israel, citing recent election outcomes and battlefield developments.

The embassy takeover on November 4, 1979, saw Iranian students seize 52 American diplomats and citizens, holding them hostage for 444 days. This event solidified the break in relations between Tehran and Washington, which have not had formal diplomatic ties since.

This year's commemoration occurs amidst heightened regional tensions, following a war initiated by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28. The conflict resulted in the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, causing significant disruption to global energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Thousands of demonstrators paraded through central Tehran, burning US and Israeli flags and chanting slogans such as “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Effigies and caricatures of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were prominently displayed, including one depicting Trump as a dog on a leash held by Netanyahu.

Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani addressed the crowd, asserting that the US and Israel had suffered a “decisive defeat,” referencing the US congressional midterm elections held the previous day. He characterized the election results, which saw a setback for Trump’s Republican Party, as a demonstration of US weaknesses stemming from Iranian “steadfastness and strength.” Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi, echoed this sentiment on X, stating, “Trump failed both in war and in politics. We will certainly impose even more defeats upon him.”

A photograph shows US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu featured on a dartboard during the 47th anniversary of the US embassy takeover in Iran, Tehran, on Wednesday. [Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters]

Chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" were heard throughout central Tehran as demonstrators waved Iranian flags and carried banners condemning the US and Israel. [Atta Kenare/AFP]

People were seen burning US and Israeli flags during the 47th anniversary of the US embassy takeover in Tehran, Iran. [Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters]

The rally took place a day after significant losses for Trump's Republican Party in the US midterm elections, widely interpreted as a rejection of his presidency, with high petrol prices exacerbated by the Iran war contributing to public frustration. [Vahid Salemi/AP Photo]

Workers installed a billboard in central Tehran depicting US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and US Vice President JD Vance with apparent injuries and torn clothing. [Vahid Salemi/AP Photo]

Tehran's chief negotiator with Washington, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, commented on the US midterm results via X, stating,