Photos: Iran marks US embassy takeover with rallies against US, Israel
News Source
•Wed, 04 Nov 2026 16:37:49 +0000
📰 What Happened
Iran marked the 47th anniversary of the 1979 US embassy takeover with mass rallies in Tehran on Wednesday. Crowds burned US and Israeli flags and chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.
Officials used the day to claim the US and Israel had been defeated, pointing to Tuesday's midterm results. Tehran's mayor said the Republican losses showed Iranian strength and resolve.
The rallies came during a war launched by the US and Israel on 28 February, in which Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed. Energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have been badly disrupted.
🔍 The Backstory
On 4 November 1979, Iranian students stormed the US embassy and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. The two countries have had no formal diplomatic ties since.
The anniversary is a fixed event in Iranian politics, with state-organised marches, flag burning and speeches. Hardliners use it to argue that resisting Washington is the only safe path.
This year it falls in wartime, with the country's leadership changed and its economy under severe strain. Officials are trying to turn a military crisis into a story of survival.
🎯 Why It Matters
The Strait of Hormuz carries about a fifth of the world's oil, so the standoff there helps set petrol prices in every country.
Iran marked the 47th anniversary of the 1979 US embassy takeover with mass rallies in Tehran on Wednesday. Crowds burned US and Israeli flags and chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.
Officials used the day to claim the US and Israel had been defeated, pointing to Tuesday's midterm results. Tehran's mayor said the Republican losses showed Iranian strength and resolve.
The rallies came during a war launched by the US and Israel on 28 February, in which Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed. Energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have been badly disrupted.
On 4 November 1979, Iranian students stormed the US embassy and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. The two countries have had no formal diplomatic ties since.
The anniversary is a fixed event in Iranian politics, with state-organised marches, flag burning and speeches. Hardliners use it to argue that resisting Washington is the only safe path.
This year it falls in wartime, with the country's leadership changed and its economy under severe strain. Officials are trying to turn a military crisis into a story of survival.
The Strait of Hormuz carries about a fifth of the world's oil, so the standoff there helps set petrol prices in every country.