The Voice News: What began as a solemn religious ceremony in Tehran swiftly transformed into one of the largest anti-Israel demonstrations in recent memory, as millions of Iranians filled a 10-kilometer stretch between Imam Hossein and Azadi squares on Saturday evening. The event, titled “Iran: Zulfiqar of Ali”, was initially organized to commemorate Eid al-Ghadir, a major Shia holiday, but quickly became a rallying cry for retribution against Israel following recent missile strikes on Iranian territory.
The Israeli attacks, which claimed the lives of several senior Iranian military officials, have pushed regional tensions to the edge of open warfare. In response, Iranians took to the streets in mass numbers, chanting slogans and vowing vengeance.
“Death to Israel! Death to Netanyahu!” echoed through the streets as demonstrators carried placards featuring Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and handwritten slogans such as “Tel Aviv Must Burn” and “Hard Revenge is Near.”Among the crowd was 38-year-old university lecturer Samira Farhadi, who brought her two teenage sons. “We came to pray and grieve,” she said. “But how can we not cry out for justice after what they’ve done? They killed our commanders—our sons. They will not go unpunished.”
Young men in black pounded drums as thousands marched with Iranian flags. One demonstrator, Mohammad Qadami, 26, declared, “This is not just about revenge—it’s about defense. Israel started this. Now they must feel our wrath.”
Despite the dominating mood of defiance, the event was not without reflection and concern. Fatemeh Badran, a 52-year-old teacher, said, “We are not warmongers. But when they strike our homeland, we must respond.”
Yet others voiced fears of a wider war. Mahmoud Rezaei, a father of three, admitted, “I filled up my gas tank and stocked up on rice and oil. No one knows what tomorrow brings.”
In the western parts of Tehran, bakeries and grocery stores reported a spike in sales. “This feels like the early years of the war in the 1980s,” said Mina Asadi, 62. “History may be knocking again.”
The rally was also marked by expressions of solidarity with Palestine and the Iranian military. Children waved flags and chanted, “Palestine is not alone,” while clerics and citizens alike praised the Iranian missile response as just and necessary.
One cleric said:
“We stand with our soldiers in the heat and in the battle. May God bring humiliation to the Zionist regime.”A teenage boy, proud to be among the crowds, declared, “We came to celebrate Eid al-Ghadir, but we are also here to warn the Zionists—they don’t dare challenge us.”
While many protesters called for escalation, others urged caution. A retired civil servant remarked, “We’ve seen war before. It brings only hunger and blood.”
Still, the prevailing message was one of unwavering loyalty and readiness. “I am a soldier of Imam Khamenei,” one attendee said. “I will follow him to the last moment.”
“Let the U.S. and Israel know: their attacks will not stop Iran’s progress—especially in nuclear energy,” said another demonstrator.As night fell on Tehran, the chants continued, candles were lit for the martyrs, and Iran’s message to its adversaries rang out loud and clear: “We are ready. We are united. And we will not forget.”