Iranians will mark the 36th anniversary of the US Embassy takeover in Tehran on Nov. 4. It will be the first commemoration since the July nuclear deal was announced between Iran and the world powers. Some Iranian officials and media — concerned that the two years of negotiating directly with US officials may soften the “Death to America” chant heard in the government-funded rallies — used Nov. 3 speeches to remind Iranians why the embassy was taken over and how America’s historical role in Iran has been counter to national movements toward independence.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke to college students Nov. 3, saying Iran’s fight against “arrogance” — which is a term used primarily for the United States but also applies to other world powers — is based on experience, citing the US and British-backed 1953 coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh as an example.
