Thousands protest in Tehran and the region against Israel
Mass protests erupt across Mideast against Israel's strikes on Iran. Thousands rally in Tehran, Baghdad, Beirut & Sanaa chanting anti-US/Israel slogans amid rising war fears.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Thousands of protesters took to the streets across Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen on Friday following weekly prayers, voicing “opposition to Israel’s recent military strikes on Iran and denouncing the United States as Tel Aviv’s primary supporter.”
In the Iranian capital, Tehran, demonstrators waved national flags and held up portraits of commanders killed since the outbreak of hostilities, in scenes broadcast by state television. Many chanted slogans pledging loyalty to the country’s leadership, with one banner reading: “I will sacrifice my life for my leader,” in reference to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“This is the Friday of the Iranian nation’s solidarity and resistance across the country,” declared a state television anchor, as similar rallies were reported in cities including Tabriz in the northwest and Shiraz in the south.
In Iraq, thousands of followers of influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr gathered in Baghdad’s Sadr City and other cities across the country. Chanting “No to Israel! No to America!” the crowds demonstrated in defiance of both Tel Aviv and Washington. While Sadr has previously criticized Tehran-backed Iraqi militias, he retains significant influence among Iraq’s Shiite majority.
In Lebanon, hundreds of Hezbollah supporters rallied in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the group’s stronghold. Protesters, carried flags of Iran, Hezbollah, and Lebanon, while some displayed images of Ayatollah Khamenei.
Despite suffering heavy losses in its latest confrontation with Israel last year, Hezbollah has not signaled any intention to join the current conflict militarily on Iran’s behalf.
Meanwhile, in Yemen’s capital Sanaa and other areas under the control of the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, tens of thousands reportedly took part in demonstrations, according to Houthi media outlets.
Rising Regional Tensions
The demonstrations came in response to Israel’s recent large-scale attack on Iranian territory, which prompted retaliatory missile barrages from Tehran. The escalation has fueled concerns of a broader regional war, with growing speculation about possible intervention by Iran-backed groups in neighboring countries.
