Iran Marks 34th Anniversary of Islamic Revolution

Local Editor

On the 34th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran, Millions of Iranians flooded into streets, carrying flags and banners in support of the revolution and its leaders.

The 1979 revolution toppled the US-backed regime of Shah and brought the country under the leadership of late Imam Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, a turning point in Iran's history.
People in major Iranian cities swarmed to the streets on Sunday, carrying images of the late founder of the Islamic republic, Imam Khomeini, and his successor, the Supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution.

In the Azadi [Liberty] Square in the capital Tehran, people chanted anti-US and anti-"Israel" slogans when marking the day.
Addressing a large crowd of people gathered at Tehran's Azadi Square, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the Islamic republic "will not back down on its fundamental rights even a single iota" in the face of pressures.
Ahmadinejad made the remarks alluding to Western sanction pressure to curb the country's controversial nuclear program which Iran insists on its peaceful nature.
He said that the West made all its efforts to "stop Iran from turning into a nuclear country" but "they failed."
"The Islamic republic has turned into a nuclear state and will continue its pace to take advantage of peaceful nuclear energy program," the Iranian president emphasized.

"Enemies have done their utmost to stop Iran's progress," he said, and added: "however, no one has been able to impose its will on the Iranian nation."
Ahmadinejad downplayed Western sanction pressures on the country's energy sector and economy, saying that "If you don't want to buy Iran's oil ..., we do not sell it to you and will run the country with non-oil revenues."
The Iranian president meanwhile praised the achievements of the Islamic revolution in a number of scientific and technological areas, and said that the country has made remarkable progresses during the past 34 years which have redeemed the country's " independence."
Hailing the recent "successful" program of sending a living creature into space, he asserted that Iran will "soon put its satellite at an orbit of 36,000 km above the earth.

Regarding the recent US "direct talks" proposal with Tehran over the country's nuclear issue, the Iranian president said that as Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said it is " unlikely" to expect negotiations "when (you are) holing a gun over the Iranian nation's head."
The talks should be based on "justice and respect, not pressure, " Ahmadinejad said Sunday, adding that "If you (Americans) do not point a gun at Iranian nation, I myself will talk with you."
"We also emphasize that dialogue is better than confrontation" and during the talks "misunderstandings should be settled" and " convergence should be made," the Iranian president said, stressing that in this way dialogue would not serve "as a tool to impose the wills (of one side on the other)."
"The vigilant and united Iranian nation still considers the US as its number one enemy and the renewed plan for negotiating with Iran under pressure and threat is the winning card needed by the US for compensating the White House's regional failures and is a deceitful move for bringing the Islamic Republic's revolutionary and popular system to the negotiating table," part of the statement read.
It further said that any attempt to attend talks with the US before Washington proves its goodwill through practical measures is against the public will, national interests, and the country's development and is also a step towards opening the path for the United States' new dominance and hegemony and will be a betrayal of the ideals of the founder of the Islamic Republic, the late Imam Khomeini, and Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei and the country's martyrs.

The statement was issued by millions of the people who attend the February 10th rallies on Sunday to show their unconditional support for the Islamic Republic.

On Thursday, the Iranian leader dismissed the US offer of direct talks with Iran, saying that the proposal has been made in word, while Washington's actions show a different course, meaning that the offer is nothing but a cunning move.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org