TEHRAN - Following over six weeks of Israel's relentless bombardment of Gaza, Iranians have once more taken to the streets across the nation to reaffirm their unwavering support for the Palestinian people. 

On Saturday, citizens from diverse backgrounds joined massive demonstrations throughout Iran. Flags and posters depicting the harrowing plight of Palestinians under the shadow of Israeli fighter jets were also put up in the main streets and squares of Iranian towns. Some of the cities that witnessed mass pro-Palestine demonstrations included Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz, Kerman, Ardabil, Tabriz, Sanandaj, Gorgan, Sari, Ghazvin, Khorram Abad, and Zahedan.

In a poignant display of solidarity, people passionately voiced their support, chanting slogans and shedding tears while demanding an end to Israeli atrocities in Gaza. In some cities people showed up dressed in shrouds, to voice their utter disgust with the ongoing massacre taking place in Gaza. At the same time, they openly scrutinized the moral compass of certain regional states for their support of the regime›s brutal suppression of Palestinian civilians.

Protesters also condemned the U.S. for not only backing Israel in its genocidal attacks on Gaza, but actively participating in them. The Saturday demonstrations were among the several rallies that have been staged in support of Palestine across Iran since October 7.

Commander praises Iranians’ fervor for supporting Palestine

One of the prominent figures attending the large rally in the Iranian capital of Tehran was Major General Hossein Salami, The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

“I sincerely thank the presence of the great and glorious Iranian nation, who have turned today into a day of Allah for the history of Islam and Iran,” the general said, adding that Iranians are full of love, affection, and religious zeal to support Palestinians who, in his words, are the “noblest people on earth.”

“What happened during Operation Al-Aqsa Storm was a response to a hundred years of crimes and injustice towards the Palestinian people,” the commander said while explaining that Palestinians were forced to live on their own lands as refugees.

Salami said the British government is the one that created all this misery in the first place. “The English seized the land of Palestine from the Palestinian people and handed it over to the Zionists, and after that, incidents such as the killing and massacre of the oppressed people of Palestine occurred”.

The general noted that along with Israel, Western countries are also responsible for the demise of every Palestinian who gets killed by the regime. He added that despite everything they have been through, Palestinians never toed the line and never agreed to submit to tyrants. “Powerful resistance has been carried out, and martyrdom has become part of the Palestinian people’s lives,” he said.

The IRGC chief pointed out how the October 7 Operation by Hamas managed to shatter the patina of invincibility that Israel had created for itself with the help of Western propaganda. He said foreign aid, however, can no longer pull the regime out of the mud.

“The West, U.S., UK, France, and some hypocritical governments suffered a great moral defeat by their silence in the face of the killing of innocent people and the siege of Gaza. They must know that none of these actions will prevent the premature collapse of the Zionist regime,” the commander noted.

Anxiety to accompany Israelis forever

Elsewhere in his comments, Salami stated that the recent developments and the growing public anger towards Israel, means the regime can no longer function like it used to.

“The collapse of the Zionist regime is not a difficult task, and Israel can no longer see peace, tranquility, and security, and anxiety will be part of the lives of Zionists from now on”.

He further stated, “Today, America and Israel try to feel victorious in Gaza by killing newborns and they take pride in that, which is the greatest humiliation for Israel. They should enter the battlefield and see if they can come face to face with Palestinian men instead”.

The senior commander also said the Zionist regime has gone into a “political coma” and is kept in the United States’s “intensive care unit” (ICU) and it no longer can see calm, welfare, and security.

Gaza on the path to victory

The IRGC General stressed Muslims will make sure to take revenge for the great pain and suffering Israel has inflicted on Palestinians.

“Muslims will take revenge for the oppressed people of Gaza, and this revenge has no expiration date,” Salami said, adding that the regime’s economy has already been affected by sanctions in Muslim countries.

“Even at night, Zionists are afraid of their own shadow, and Gaza is on the path to victory. The result of the war will be in favor of those who defend their land.”

The top commander ended his speech by warning that resistance forces have yet to utilize a vast part of their capabilities.

“There are still many capabilities that have not been utilized, and our enemies should not think they can achieve their desires,” Salami emphasized.

Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip has so far killed more than 12,000 civilians with thousands of children among the dead. The regime has been targeting schools, hospitals, churches, mosques, and homes while justifying the large number of civilian deaths as “collateral damage.”

The U.S. and other Western countries have barely criticized the regime’s conduct so far, making many believe that they have given Israeli leaders carte blanche to carry out a genocide in the Palestinian territory. Arab States have also failed to come up with any concrete solutions to help Gazans.