Criticism of Burning the American Flag in Iran's Parliament

The burning of the American flag and a paper symbolically representing the JCPOA in the Iranian Parliament has sparked criticism. Mohsen Kouhkan, the representative from Lanjan and initiator of this act, has defended his action. Following Donald Trump's announcement of the U.S. withdrawal, and the strong reactions from the Supreme Leader and military commanders, the American flag and the paper symbolizing the JCPOA were set on fire by several representatives in the open session. Kouhkan, who has a 14-year history in Parliament and eight years in the leadership board, stated that he made this decision alone and 'without consulting anyone.' He justified his action by citing '40 years of American hostility towards the Iranian people and government' and added, 'We needed to show our anger and discontent with this ugly act through revolutionary behavior. Since I couldn't find a picture of Trump, I burned the flag of this country.' According to Kouhkan, after burning the JCPOA and the American flag, some representatives supported and welcomed this act, with some expressing regret that they were not informed beforehand. He also mentioned that if Europe shirks its commitments under the JCPOA, 'we will make coffins for them.' Meanwhile, Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, described the act of burning the American flag in the open session as a 'bad' behavior, stating it was 'not wise' and 'not correct.' He noted that burning the American flag effectively pits the American people against us. Motahari added that due to the 'sudden' nature of this act, 'there was no way to react to this unexpected behavior.' Political activist Sadegh Zibakalam commented on Twitter that this act by 'revolutionary representatives' in Parliament indicated that Trump 'is not entirely wrong.' He believed this act showcased 'a glimpse of the rich culture and civilization of some Iranians.' Zibakalam referred to Trump's remarks labeling Iran as 'the primary state sponsor of terrorism.' Another representative, Alireza Rahimi, tweeted that burning flags 'has no place in Islamic culture and is rejected in political logic.' He wrote that following the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, 'the joy of some for settling political scores with Rouhani and Zarif has escalated to fireworks in the Parliament.' Rahimi also noted that 'the vast majority of representatives and the Speaker of Parliament, including the heads of the Hope, Independents, and Velayat factions' did not support such an 'emotional and rejected action.' He sarcastically added that 'spontaneous actions do not only happen at the home of Forouhar or the British or Saudi embassies.' Criticism of the burning of the American flag in the open session of Parliament comes as a number of Basij students at Tehran University also held a rally today, burning the text of the JCPOA and the American flag to protest the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with major powers. Following the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reinstatement of sanctions against Iran, President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have announced that they will continue negotiations with European parties to secure Iran's interests from the JCPOA and will inform about remaining in or exiting the JCPOA in a few weeks after assessments. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has stated that he does not 'trust' Germany, France, and Britain, which have announced they will remain in the JCPOA, and has asked the government to obtain 'practical guarantees' from them.