Hundreds of Thousands of Iranians Rally in Tehran to Show Defiance Against US

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have marched in a government-organised show of defiance in Tehran, pledging their readiness to take up arms as 313,000 volunteers were mobilised in the capital. The Iranian government showcased a newly formed volunteer force at the rally on Friday, which will receive limited military and emergency response training to serve as an additional layer of security for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia.

Volunteers rallied through downtown Tehran in combat uniforms, some carrying flags and weapons, while the government displayed drones, anti-aircraft batteries and other weaponry. Iranian authorities stated that 313,000 people joined the event in the capital, though attendance figures could not be independently verified. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended the military march alongside other senior leaders, including Basij head Hossein Taeb.

Tehran’s IRGC chief, Hassan Hassanzadeh, told state broadcaster IRIB that over 600,000 people had registered to participate in the voluntary Janfada-ye-Iran campaign, which translates to “Those who sacrifice their lives for Iran”. Hossein Taeb told participants that the volunteers would be ready for “full-fledged defence” and would be a “nightmare” for Iran’s enemies.

Iranian authorities stated that mobilising the new volunteer force is part of a broader defence strategy to demonstrate national unity and readiness. Women and teenagers have also registered with the volunteer units. President Masoud Pezeshkian noted in a speech that the rally served as a message of solidarity not only to countries like the US and Israel, but also to address internal crises.

Friday's rally took place as the Iranian economy struggles under a US naval blockade of Iranian ports and new US sanctions. Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, condemned the economic measures, while the US administration targeted digital currency networks allegedly providing sanctioned Iranian entities with access to the international financial system. Although a struggling economy drove protests last December, the war launched in late February by US-Israeli strikes has allowed authorities to regain initiative through national mobilisation.