Iranian students take part in a rally marking the 33rd anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. Embassy outside the former U.S. embassy in downtown Tehran, capital of Iran, Nov. 2, 2012. Thousands of Iranians on Friday held rallies nationwide to mark the anniversary of "the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran" by Iranian students 33 years ago. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)
TEHRAN, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Iranians on Friday held rallies nationwide to mark the anniversary of "the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran" by Iranian students 33 years ago, as a senior Iranian military commander ruled out a compromise with the United States.
In Tehran, demonstrators marched to the former U.S. embassy complex and gathered in front of it, waving flags and banners with anti-U.S. and anti-Western slogans. The marchers also chanted slogans against the United States and Israel.
The United States cut diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980 after a group of Iranian students captured some 60 U.S. diplomats in 1979. In the hostage crisis, 52 of the U.S. diplomats were held in captivity for 444 days.
Addressing a rally on Friday, commander of Iran's Basij ( volunteer) Forces, Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Naqdi, said that Iran will not compromise with the United States.
The Iranian nation will not compromise with the United States as the American officials do not change their policies towards other nations in the world, said the commander of Basij forces, which are under the command of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
Iranians will not surrender to the U.S. sanction pressures or to the U.S. "plots" against the country, he said, alluding to the recent attempts by some Iranian expatriates and politicians to restore relations with Washington in order to alleviate the pressures on the country's economy, which has been hit significantly by the Western sanctions over the country's controversial nuclear program.
On Oct. 2, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said direct talks with the United States on bilateral relations was "possible, but the conditions should be met."
Ahmadinejad said international relations were based on " dialogue principle," but these dialogues should be based on " justice and respect," adding that it would be a "mistake" if one side intends to push the other to come to negotiation table under "pressure."
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi on Oct. 21 denied media reports that the United States and Iran had agreed for the first time to have one-on-one talks over Iran's controversial nuclear program.
Iran has made all the progress by resisting the U.S. policies and confronting them, stressed the Iranian Basij commander on Friday, arguing that it is not "rational" to re-establish ties and compromise with the United States as its military power has " declined" and "defeated" in the region over the past years and the Americans are even "weaker" in comparison to 32 years ago when the diplomatic relations between two countries were severed.
To establish relations with the United States, the Americans " should accept the Iranian nation's conditions" to "reconsider its policies" towards other nations in the world and to "shut down its military bases in 50 countries," said Naqdi.
On Friday, the gathering in front of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran ended with the issuance of a statement which called for resistance against "the U.S. and Western policies against the regional states and the Islamic republic."
The statement condemned "the U.S. plots" against the "nuclear rights" of Iran and against the Syrian government and nation, saying that Iranians consider the United States as the main enemy of the country.
The statement also slammed a movie produced in the West that insults the Islamic values and the prophet of Islam.
TEHRAN, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Iranians on Friday held rallies nationwide to mark the anniversary of "the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran" by Iranian students 33 years ago.
In Tehran, demonstrators marched to the former U.S. embassy complex and gathered in front of it, waving flags and banners with anti-U.S. and anti-western slogans. Full story
TEHRAN, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) Forces Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Naqdi said Friday that Iran will not compromise with the United States.
Naqdi made the remarks in a rally held here Friday to mark the anniversary of "the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran" by Iranian students 33 years ago. Full story
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