Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied on Friday in a government-organised demonstration after months of war, pledging their readiness to take up arms in the largest such demonstration since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February.
Iran’s government has sought to rally the public and emphasise national unity, even as the economy worsens under a US naval blockade of Iranian ports and new US sanctions intended to increase pressure on Tehran.
Estimates varied over the number of people volunteering to receive limited military training and defend the country under an initiative known as “Janfaday-e Iran”.
Volunteers marched through central Tehran in combat uniforms and carried flags as onlookers cheered.
State media had encouraged Iranians for days to join the campaign, saying assault rifle training would begin soon. The volunteers would provide an additional layer of security alongside the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and its all-volunteer Basij force.
Tehran’s IRGC chief, General Hassan Hassanzadeh, told state television that more than 600,000 people had registered to participate, with more than one million expected to undergo training. On Friday morning, the broadcaster estimated that more than 300,000 people were on the streets.
The claims could not be independently verified.
The new head of the Basij, Hossein Taeb, said the volunteers would be prepared for “full-fledged defence”, adding that similar rallies would soon be held in other cities.
The trainees would create a “nightmare” for Iran’s enemies, Taeb said as President Masoud Pezeshkian, military commanders and other senior officials watched the march.
Some participants trampled US and Israeli flags, while others chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.
“I am here to tell Trump that we Iranians have no fear about his threats against our homeland,” said Marzieh Afaghi, 24, who attended the rally with her husband and toddler.
“No one in history could invade Iran and remain there.”
The rally also gave Iran an opportunity to display military hardware. Anti-aircraft batteries were exhibited, while female IRGC members sat alongside truck-mounted machine guns.
The IRGC also displayed drones that have been widely used against ships in the Strait of Hormuz, severely disrupting Gulf oil and natural gas shipments to global markets.
Friday’s events also suggested that hardliners within Iran’s leadership could be better prepared to suppress future demonstrations against the government.
In January, shortly before the war, Iran witnessed some of the largest nationwide protests in its history. The demonstrations began over the struggling economy before expanding to encompass broader grievances.
Activists said the subsequent crackdown killed more than 7,000 people and led to the detention of tens of thousands.
Government officials said in May that more than 30 million people in Iran, which has a population of about 90 million, had volunteered through an online form or at public gatherings to join the initiative. The figure could not be independently confirmed.
