Thousands gathered in Tehran on Nov. 4 to mark the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy, in the first major anniversary events since strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites during a 12-day conflict with Israel in June. Demonstrators burned flags, displayed missile and centrifuge mock-ups, and chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans while leaders reiterated there will be no quick normalization with Washington. The June fighting killed nearly 1,100 Iranians and 28 people in Israel and followed five rounds of talks with the U.S. In September, the U.N. reimposed sanctions targeting Iran’s assets, arms and missile development.
Tehran Marks 1979 U.S. Embassy Seizure Amid Heightened Tensions After June Strikes
Thousands gathered in Tehran on Nov. 4 to mark the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy, in the first major anniversary events since strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites during a 12-day conflict with Israel in June. Demonstrators burned flags, displayed missile and centrifuge mock-ups, and chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans while leaders reiterated there will be no quick normalization with Washington. The June fighting killed nearly 1,100 Iranians and 28 people in Israel and followed five rounds of talks with the U.S. In September, the U.N. reimposed sanctions targeting Iran’s assets, arms and missile development.
14:53, 04.11.2025Politics
Iranians mark anniversary of 1979 embassy seizure amid renewed tensions
Thousands of people gathered in downtown Tehran on Nov. 4 to mark the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy — the first such large-scale commemoration since strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites during a 12-day conflict with Israel in June.
On Nov. 4, 1979, Iranian students overwhelmed embassy guards and occupied the compound, seizing 52 American diplomats and citizens in a crisis that lasted 444 days. The anniversary, observed every year, drew crowds who chanted slogans including "death to U.S." and "death to Israel," burned U.S. and Israeli flags, and hung effigies of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
State media said smaller gatherings took place in other cities and towns. At the Tehran rally, mock-ups of missiles — some bearing slogans such as "death to America" — and replicas of centrifuge machines used in uranium enrichment were displayed along the sidelines.
Leadership message and speeches
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told students on Monday there would be no quick normalization of ties with Washington, a message reflected on banners at the rallies. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the main speaker at the Tehran event, accused the U.S. and Israel of targeting Iranian scientists and officials, saying the West "opposes an independent, integrated and powerful Iran." He also denounced the former U.S. embassy as a "den of spies."
Context of recent conflict and nuclear program
The June conflict, which included Israeli airstrikes and U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, killed nearly 1,100 Iranians, according to Iranian officials, including military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran’s retaliatory missile barrage into Israel killed 28 people there. Those strikes followed five rounds of talks between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear program.
Following the confrontation with Israel, Iran reduced its cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring. Tehran still holds a stockpile of uranium enriched up to about 60% purity — a technical step closer to weapons-grade levels of roughly 90% — and analysts say the material could be sufficient to produce several nuclear devices if Iran decided to pursue weaponization, though Tehran continues to insist its program is peaceful. Western governments and the IAEA have previously assessed that Iran had an organized weapons program prior to 2003.
Sanctions
In September, the United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear activities. The renewed measures are expected to freeze certain Iranian assets abroad, restrict arms sales and limit developments related to Tehran’s ballistic missile program, among other penalties.
Despite annual commemorations and recent escalations, diplomats and analysts say the trajectory of Iran’s international relations will depend on future negotiations, regional dynamics and the decisions of both Tehran and external powers.