BICOM

As nuclear talks continued in Vienna, Iran marked Al Quds day with large rallies and a characteristically belligerent display of contempt for the West, including the burning of British and Israeli flags.

Iranian negotiators remained locked in talks with the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) in Vienna over the weekend as the two sides were reported to have all but sealed an agreement over Tehran’s nuclear development. Media reports suggest that the deal could be announced as early as today.

Meanwhile on Friday, Iran marked Al Quds Day, which has been observed in the country on the last Friday of Ramadan since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran says that the day expresses support for the Palestinians and the importance of Jerusalem to Muslims. However, it has invariably turned into a public demonstration of virulent opposition to Israel and its Western allies.

At Friday’s central event in Tehran, AP says that British, Israeli, American and Saudi Arabian flags were tied around pillars and set on fire. Posters and effigies of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi King Salman and US President Barack Obama were also set ablaze. AFP reports that crowds chanted “Down with America” and “Death to Israel.”

Meanwhile, on Saturday Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei said that even if a nuclear deal is concluded, the fight against the United States would continue. He told a group of students in Tehran, “Get ready to continue your fight against the global arrogance. The US is the true embodiment of the global arrogance.” Striking a similar tone, commander of the Iranian ground forces, Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said yesterday that although “The US might arrive at some agreements with us… we should never hold a positive view of the enemy.”

Commenting on Friday’s rallies and the concurrent nuclear talks, Israeli premier Netanyahu said “Iran does not hide its intention to continue its murderous aggression even against those with whom it is negotiating.”