Government Rally for 'Quds Day' Held with Slogans Against Saudi Arabia and Hassan Rouhani

Reports from Iran indicate that during the government rally for 'Quds Day' in Tehran, slogans were chanted against the Saudi government, Hassan Rouhani, and the '2030' document. Posters and bulletins against the government were also distributed. Videos circulated on social media showing some participants chanting slogans such as 'Rouhani, Banisadr / Congratulations on your union' and 'Death to the hypocrite' during Hassan Rouhani's presence at the rally. The 'Quds Day' rally, held on Friday, June 22, in Tehran and other cities in Iran, saw participants burning flags of Israel and the United States and chanting slogans against these countries. The final resolution of the rally accused Saudi Arabia of supporting 'terrorism' to 'secure' Israel, echoing previous accusations by Iranian officials against Saudi Arabia for supporting the Islamic State (ISIS). The rally occurred about a week after the IRGC's missile attack on ISIS positions in Syria, during which several Iranian missiles were displayed. Reports from reformist media indicated that slogans against Hassan Rouhani's government were also voiced at the rally. A countdown to what was described as 'the destruction of Israel within the next 25 years' was showcased. The final statement of the rally claimed that Israel aims to 'transform the culture and identity of Islamic societies' through international organizations and impose so-called global documents like UNESCO's 2030 document. The authors of this statement, referring to the halt of the implementation of this document in Iran, called on all Islamic countries to 'vigilantly thwart the plots of the evil network of dominance in this area.' Following criticisms from the Supreme Leader and his associates, the implementation of the UNESCO 2030 document was halted in Iran, and the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council removed it from the agenda in a session on June 13. Hassan Rouhani, during his election campaign, accused his conservative opponents of sending 'false reports' about this document to the Supreme Leader and raising issues not present in the document. Ayatollah Khamenei, however, responded to Rouhani's remarks, stating, 'Those who think we have not received accurate reports; no, our reports are accurate.' Reformist media also reported that some participants at the Quds Day rally chanted slogans against Hassan Rouhani and his government members, suggesting that he might face a fate similar to that of Abolhassan Banisadr, the first president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who was forced to leave the country. The Telegram channel 'Emtedad,' close to reformists, reported that a person with a loudspeaker at the event addressed the crowd saying Rouhani 'says' and the people responded 'Death to America,' with the announcer clarifying that he did not mean Rouhani but the clergy, suggesting that those who say such slogans should wear women's clothing and leave the country. Reports indicate that bulletins were also distributed against the government at this rally. Meanwhile, Jamshid Ansari, head of the Administrative and Recruitment Organization and Deputy President, tweeted: 'Insulting the President, the First Vice President, and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, especially on a day symbolizing unity against the enemies of Islam, is a clear example of being played by the enemy.' Ansari did not specify what he referred to as 'insults' to Hassan Rouhani, his First Vice President, and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Masoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President and head of Iran's Environmental Organization, also tweeted about this issue, stating that 'the ugly actions of a few with insults to the President cannot undermine national unity, the power of the Iranian people, and strong support for Mr. Rouhani.' Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also tweeted: 'Insulting the elected President of the nation contradicts the philosophy of Quds Day, which symbolizes the unity of Muslims.' Videos circulated on social media show some participants chanting slogans such as 'Rouhani, Banisadr, congratulations on your union' and 'Death to the hypocrite' during Hassan Rouhani's presence at the rally. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic stated on Tuesday, June 12, that the experience of 1979 should not be repeated, where 'the then-President [Abolhassan Banisadr] polarized society and divided people into opposing and supporting factions.' Following these remarks, some Telegram channels and websites supporting Ayatollah Khamenei warned that Hassan Rouhani might face a fate similar to that of Mr. Banisadr. The verbal clashes between Hassan Rouhani and the Supreme Leader have intensified since Rouhani's re-election as President. Since 1979, following a call from Ayatollah Khomeini, the former leader of the Islamic Republic, the Quds Day rally has been held annually in Iran and several Muslim countries on the last Friday of Ramadan. Meanwhile, some news websites from Qom reported that the Quds Day rally in Qom was held with the highest security measures in the last 20 years, with most streets leading to the rally route blocked.