TEHRAN – Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets across the country on Friday to condemn the United States over its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the JCPOA, as well as its anti-Iran rhetoric.

It came three days after an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that he would take America out of the UN-endorsed nuclear pact and move toward re-imposing what he described a series of strong sanctions against the country.

Protesters carried placards which read, “Mr. Trump, You Are Talking Nonsense,” a rough translation of what the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday, Press TV reported.

The rallies were held after Friday prayers in Tehran and other cities, where marchers reiterated their loyalty to the Islamic Republic and chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.

They also chanted “We Fight, We Die, but We Do Not Accept any Compromise”.

The demonstrators also issued a statement in a show of unity, saying Trump’s “stupid” actions and remarks showed the imperialistic nature of the U.S. leaders.

“The imbecile Trump's pretexts and insane move following a psychological war and breach of contract and unilateral pullout from the JCPOA and his idiotic remarks against the powerful Iran revealed again the imperialistic nature of the criminal American leaders,” they stated. 

“With God’s help, we will stand up and resist until the full destruction of the enemies of Islam…, especially the world-gobbling America,” the statement added.

Trump’s announcement was immediately met with condemnations from across the political spectrum of Iran.

Minutes after the decision was made public, President Hassan Rouhani, in a televised speech, said the decision “was the beginning of a psychological war against Iran.”

However, Rouhani said, “Our heroic people will not be affected by this psychological attack.”

The U.S. move against the internationally-backed nuclear agreement has infuriated Iranians, no matter reformist and principlist. People are siding with those who long have warned to be suspicious of the West.

Iranian students also took to the iconic Azadi Square in the capital Tehran, setting fire to U.S. flags and shouting anti-U.S. slogans.

MH/PA