Members of Iranian paramilitary forces (Basij) march next to a Iranian long range Sejil missile, during an anti-Israeli rally to show their solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people, in Tehran.
Image: AFP
Thousands of fighters linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paraded with heavy weapons and vehicles through the streets of Tehran on Friday, showing their readiness to face "threats".
The parade by paramilitary Basij volunteers comes after the weakening of Iran's allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during wars with Israel. It also follows last month's toppling by Islamist-led rebels of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, whom Tehran also supported.
Vehicles mounted with rocket launchers, artillery and naval commandos moved through the streets. Fighters in combat gear marched on foot with rocket launchers, and black-clad women carried rifles.
Some dragged coffins decorated with Israeli flags, as flags of Hezbollah flew along with Iranian and Palestinian banners.
A Guards commander, General Mohammadreza Naghdi, singled out Iran's enemies, the US and Israel, during the gathering.
The US, he said, was "behind all the misfortune in the Muslim world".
As for Israel, "if we are able to destroy the Zionist regime and withdraw the American bases in the region, one of our big problems will be resolved," he said.
The Guards' commander for the capital, General Hassan Hassanzadeh, told state television that one aim of the rally was to "support the population of Gaza and Palestine".
Supporting the Palestinian cause has been a pillar of Iranian foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
"We also want to show that the Basij are ready to confront all threats from enemies of the Islamic revolution," Hassanzadeh said.
AFP