Quds Day Ceremony in Iran with Presence of Yemeni Nationals and Burning of Saudi Flag

Iranian news agencies reported that the Quds Day rally was held on July 9 with the presence of Islamic Republic officials in Tehran and other cities across Iran. According to photos shared on social media, some participants at this rally burned the Saudi Arabian flag for the first time, which did not have the 'Allah' emblem. Meanwhile, according to ISNA news agency, a number of Yemeni nationals also attended this rally, carrying images of the leader of the 'Ansarullah' group and pictures of several victims of Saudi military attacks in Yemen. Islamic Republic officials have repeatedly protested against Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen, while Riyadh has accused Iran of interfering in Yemen's affairs and supporting Houthi militants, a claim that Iran has always denied. Based on the published photos, large billboards were also installed along the Quds Day march route displaying images of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the 2009 presidential election protesters, as well as Mohammad Khatami, former president of Iran, alongside images of Barack Obama, the U.S. president, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, with the slogan 'America can do nothing.' Notably, the images of Karroubi and Khatami were displayed without clerical attire. Meanwhile, Masoumeh Ebtekar, head of Iran's Environmental Protection Organization, reported that during her presence at the rally and interviews with the media, some individuals nearby chanted 'Death to the seditionist and hypocrite.' Ebtekar wrote on her Instagram page: 'There was a small group, but with a loud voice, seemingly directed, who came forward at critical moments and raised issues with aggression. For example, they questioned why I called for addressing dog killings! Interestingly, they were also chanting death to the seditionist in a coordinated manner.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, and his associates refer to the 2009 presidential election protesters as 'seditionists.' Last year, during the Quds Day ceremony, several principlists harshly criticized reformists and those protesters who chanted 'Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, My life is for Iran' during the 2009 election protests, referring to the situation in Gaza. According to published photos, some participants in the Quds Day rally also carried placards regarding Iran's nuclear negotiations with the 5+1 group. Meanwhile, some marchers held images with the phrase attributed to Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, stating 'Never threaten an Iranian.' Ahmad Khatami, Tehran's Friday prayer leader, after the ceremony emphasized the slogan 'Good agreement yes, bad agreement never,' stating: 'Some writers and website owners should not play into the enemy's hands by polarizing society.' He added: 'One writes about sanction profiteers, another writes about victory profiteers. While in this country, there is no one who profits from peace or sanctions. This is not a place for profiteering but for pride and dignity.' Khatami stressed: 'I tell domestic media that the U.S. line is that if an agreement is not reached, they will portray Iran as the obstacle to the agreement, and you media must heroically step in and tell the truth to the people that the obstacle to the agreement is the U.S. and its allies' excessive demands.' The Quds Day rally is held annually on the last Friday of Ramadan and, according to Islamic Republic officials, is for 'supporting the Palestinian people.'