Iran marks 35th anniversary of Islamic revolution

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians, carrying flags and banners in support of the Islamic establishment, celebrated nationwide the 35th anniversary of the Islamic revolution on Tuesday. The 1979 revolution toppled the U.S.-backed regime of Shah and brought the country under the leadership of Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, an event seen as a turning point in Iran 's history. People in major Iranian cities swarmed to the streets on Tuesday, carrying images of the late founder of the Islamic republic Ayatollah Khomeini and his successor, incumbent Iran's leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While in the Azadi (Liberty) Square in the capital Tehran, people were chanting anti-U.S. and anti- Israel slogans when marking the day. Iran's Islamic revolution put an end to the mind that the country and Iranian government can be under the authority of the United States and that the Americans can intervene in every affair of Iran's domestic issues, President Hassan Rouhani said addressing the large crowd at Azadi Square. Iran will pursue its "peaceful" nuclear technology and resist any kinds of threat against its interests in nuclear talks with the world powers, he said. "I announce this clearly that threats against Iranian nation is worthless and childish, since our nation resisted different kinds of enemy's threats over the past 35 years and emerged victorious," he added. The Iranian president urged West to change its rhetoric in dealing with Iran, arguing that the language of threat will lead to solidarity among Iranians and unity against West. He denounced sanction pressures against his country "as oppressive, illegal and wrong," saying that West can no longer continue these sanctions against Iran. "In the recent talks, we stroke the first blow on the sanctions regime," said Rouhani. Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department announced actions targeting a number of companies and individuals around the world for evading U.S. sanctions against Iran. Iran and the world powers clinched a deal last November, whereby Iran agreed to oxidize and dilute its 20-percent enriched uranium stockpile in return for limited ease of western sanctions. However, the U.S. has warned that this does not mean Iran is open for business. The United States should abandon the illusion of pressuring Tehran as a means to change its nuclear stance, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said following U.S. fresh sanction move. The Islamic republic was standing firm on its inalienable rights and would never withdraw, Marzieh Afkham said, adding that the U.S. hostility would never force Tehran to give up its nuclear rights. The Iranian president further criticized occasional military threats by the U.S. officials, saying that the military threats against Iran are mere "illusions" and "nobody in the world can keep military option against Iran on the table." The president's remarks were followed by an applause from the large crowd gathered at Azadi square. He said Iran is determined to continue its advancements in acquiring "peaceful" nuclear technology. "The movement of Iranians toward the peaks of science and technology, including the peaceful nuclear technology, will be continuous," he added. Iranian president called nuclear negotiations "a historical test" for the United States and Europe, and asked the world powers to consider Iran's rights in the upcoming talks. In case the P5+1 group, namely five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany, recognize Iran's rights, heed shared interests, interact and negotiate on the basis of mutual respect, they will receive "positive response from Iran," Rouhani said. Iran and the P5+1 group will start talks on a final nuclear deal on Feb. 18 in Vienna, Austria.