Hawzah News Agency- On that day, Iran declared its sovereignty non-negotiable and rejected what its leaders described as three pillars of external control: Western liberal ideology as a universal doctrine, Zionism as the architecture of regional power, and American hegemony as the guarantor of both. In the decades since, vast political, economic, and military resources have been mobilized to contain or reverse the course set in 1979. Yet forty-seven years later, the Islamic Republic remains sanctioned, pressured, and contested, but firmly intact, continuing to present itself as one of the principal challengers to a global order it argues was never designed to reflect the will or interests of much of the world.
Images and reports circulating across social media on the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution depicted vast crowds stretching through major boulevards in Tehran and cities across the country. Footage shared by multiple accounts described the turnout as numbering in the tens of millions nationwide, with some citing figures exceeding 25 million participants. Aerial shots showed dense columns of demonstrators moving through city centers, waving Iranian flags, carrying portraits of national leaders primarily Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, and marking the 22nd of Bahman with coordinated rallies that organizers said spanned the entirety of the country.
In Tehran, symbolic displays accompanied the marches. One widely shared scene showed an effigy labeled “Baal'', adorned with imagery associated with Israel, set ablaze as crowds chanted slogans condemning Tel Aviv. Other images featured staged installations referencing senior American military officials, presented against backdrops of the US flag. The visual language was unmistakable: a message of resistance directed not only at regional adversaries, but at Washington itself. These displays underscored how the anniversary continues to serve as a platform for articulating Iran’s geopolitical posture as much as its domestic unity.
Equally prominent were testimonials from participants who framed their presence as an act of loyalty amid hardship. One widely circulated video showed a woman declaring that despite economic strain and daily pressures, she and others “do not abandon our father”, and would stand by the country’s leadership as she waved pictures of Sayyed Ali Khamenei.
While millions of Iranians filled the streets to mark the revolution’s anniversary, a strikingly different portrait dominated major Western headlines. Influential outlets speculated openly like the Atlantic about the imminent “collapse” of the Iranian state, framing unrest as evidence of structural disintegration rather than political contestation within a sovereign nation.
Whatever one’s view of Iran’s political system, the anniversary demonstrated that it remains a lived reality for millions, not merely a subject of external prognosis. In a moment defined by tension and scrutiny, the resilience on display suggests that the country’s trajectory will not be determined solely by headlines abroad. Amid pressure and prediction, the enduring presence of its people in the public square stands as a reminder that history is shaped not only by narratives imposed from outside, but by the convictions sustained within.
Source: Al Manar
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