TEHRAN — The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has marked the 41st anniversary of ending the U.S. presence in Iran, saying relying on the domestic power and capacities of the country guarantees the Iranian nation's victory against the U.S. economic war.

In a statement on Monday, the IRGC said the enmity of the U.S. toward the Iranian nation dates back to 60 years ago, a reference to the 1953 U.S.-backed coup against the democratic government of Mohammad Mosaddegh.

It emphasized that since then both Democratic and Republican presidents have pursued the same hostile policies against Iran, Mehr reported.

The statement also refuted the idea of linking foreign developments to solutions to address domestic problems.

On November 4, 1979, Iranian revolutionaries occupied the U.S. embassy in Tehran, which was dubbed “the den of spies” by Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981.

The day is marked in Iran as the National Day of Fight against Global Arrogance.

According to the IRGC, November 4 is characterized by three momentous incidents in the history of the U.S. regime and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

It added that the treacherous, vicious and criminal hand of the United States in the incidents of the massacre of 56 Iranian students in the University of Tehran (4 Nov. 1943), the exile of Imam Khomeini to Turkey (4 Nov. 1964), and the seizure of Den of Espionage (4 Nov. 1979) reveals the arrogant approach of the rulers of the White House against the Islamic Revolution.

The notion of “fight against global arrogance” has a root in the principles and foundations of the Islamic Revolution, the IRGC said, stressing that it won't be influenced by any psychological operations, media propaganda, and the shift of power between the Republicans and Democrats.

IRGC's statement described strategies such as active resistance, relying on the internal capacities of the country and strengthening the country's economy as important elements to fight off the U.S. sanctions.

U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in May 2018 and introduced the harshest ever sanctions in history against Iran. 

According to the nuclear agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran was obliged to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions. 

Trump described the JCPOA as “the worst deal in history”.

Iranian officials have denounced the U.S. sanctions as “economic terrorism”, with the aim of bringing about the collapse of the Iranian economy. President Hassan Rouhani has also said the U.S. sanctions were aimed at causing the economic collapse of Iran but failed to do so.

MH/PA