Continued Criticism of Burning the American Flag in the Iranian Parliament

As criticism continues over the actions of several Iranian parliament members who burned the American flag, a group of participants at Friday prayers in Tehran also set fire to American and Israeli flags. On Wednesday, several parliament members shouted 'Death to America' while burning the U.S. flag and a paper representing the JCPOA (nuclear deal). This action took place despite Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stating in June 2016 that 'if the Americans tear up the JCPOA, we will burn it.' However, criticism of the representatives who burned the American flag persists. Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, described the action as 'bad' and stated it was 'not wise' or 'correct.' Parvaneh Salahshouri, the head of the Women's Faction in Parliament, called the act 'out of the ordinary and unethical,' noting that the representatives involved had opposed the JCPOA from the beginning. In an interview with ILNA news agency, Salahshouri emphasized that 'burning a flag means opposing the national symbol of any country,' adding that she has never heard or seen Americans burning the Iranian flag, as the differences between Iran and the U.S. are at the level of governments, not peoples. Simultaneously, Fatemeh Saidi, a Tehran representative, tweeted that she does not view the burning of the JCPOA and the American flag by some representatives as 'an act in line with national interests.' Saidi stressed that 'a country's flag is a symbol of a nation, and it is our duty to respect all nations.' Mahmoud Sadeghi, another Tehran representative, responded to a Twitter user asking why he did not prevent the act, saying he was powerless to stop it. Several other parliament members, including Alireza Rahimi, also criticized the burning of the American flag in the parliament. Additionally, many social media users and cultural-scientific figures have strongly condemned this act. For instance, Sadegh Zibakalam, a political science professor at Tehran University, tweeted that the actions of these representatives show that Donald Trump 'is not entirely wrong.' Donald Trump, the U.S. President, who announced the official withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA on Tuesday, referenced the burning of the American flag in Iran and anti-American slogans in the Islamic Republic during his cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Meanwhile, on Friday, May 21, a group of participants in Friday prayers in Tehran marched in the streets around Tehran University after the prayers, and according to ILNA, while chanting slogans against America and Donald Trump, they set fire to American and Israeli flags. Hassan Rouhani and his government officials have stated they will continue negotiations with European parties to 'secure Iran's interests from the JCPOA' and will decide on the continuation of the JCPOA without the U.S. after reviews. However, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has stated that he does not trust the Europeans and that 'definite guarantees' must be obtained from them. On Friday, when Ahmad Khatami, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran, spoke about 'Europe's betrayal,' some attendees began chanting slogans against Europe, but the Imam did not allow it and said, 'Only death to America and Israel.'