Iranians Rally To Mark Anniversary Of 1979 US Embassy Takeover

Thousands of Iranians gathered in front of the former US Embassy in Tehran on Thursday to mark the 42nd anniversary of the embassy takeover.

Holding placards and posters and chanting anti-American and anti-Israel slogans, the demonstrators, mostly university students, commemorated what in Iran is known as the "national day of fighting global arrogance".

On Nov. 4, 1979, a large number of Iranian students had seized the sprawling US Embassy compound in the heart of Tehran to protest then US administration's decision to welcome the deposed Iranian monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Around 66 Americans were taken hostage, of which 52 remained in the Iranian captivity for 14 months, a move that caused irreparable rupture in relations between the two countries.

Every year, the day is marked with massive street rallies in Tehran and a ceremony in front of the embassy compound, which has now been turned into a museum, known as the "US den of espionage museum".

On Thursday, despite coronavirus-related restrictions, thousands assembled in front of the former US Embassy, and watched student groups perform drama skits and recite patriotic songs.

The chief of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Gen. Hossein Salami, addressing the gathering, said the product of US' global politics were "49 major wars leaving 8 million casualties".

In a statement, the event organizers said they "utterly distrusted the hegemonic powers," accusing the US of "imposing war" on the people of Iran and calling for lifting of "oppressive and illegal sanctions".

Talks and tensions

Importantly, on the eve of the 42nd anniversary of the hostage crisis, Iran announced the date for the next round of nuclear talks in Vienna, ending months of speculation.

Iran's deputy foreign minister and lead negotiator Ali Bagheri in a statement said he had informed his EU counterpart Enrique Mora that the stalled talks would resume on Nov. 29.

The talks aimed to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, however, come in the wake of fresh tensions sparked by an encounter between the US and Iranian navies in the Sea of Oman, announced by Iran on Wednesday.

Iran's state media alleged that a US military vessel had confiscated an Iranian oil tanker and attempted to "steal" the oil, before the IRGC naval forces moved the tanker back into Iran's territorial waters.

The US government, however, denied the Iranian account, calling the claims "bogus".

"I've seen the Iranian claims, they are absolutely totally false and untrue," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters. -