Iran celebrated the 47th anniversary of the Islamic revolution on Wednesday with pro-government mass rallies. They contrasted with last month’s deadly antiregime protests which prompted the US to deploy a naval armada in the Arabian Sea.
US president Donald Trump had threatened to intervene if protesters continued to be targeted.
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, spoke of “great sorrow” over the crackdown on Wednesday. Activists have said more than 6,000 people were killed in the protests, while the Iranian government has said 3,117 people died, including members of the security forces.
“We are ashamed before the people,” said Pezeshkian. We are obliged to serve all those who were harmed in this process. We are ready to hear the voice of the people. We are servants of the people, and we do not seek to confront the people.”
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However, he dismissed calls to release detained activists, who include Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.
Pezeshkian said he would continue indirect negotiations with Washington on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The president said Iran was “ready for any kind of verification” to demonstrate it is not making nuclear weapons. This could signal the resumption of monitoring and inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The inspections were halted after Israel and the US bombed Iran’s chief nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan and Nantaz in June. The sites suffered major damage, and 440kg of highly enriched uranium remain missing.
The Iranian celebrations and US naval build-up coincided with three hours of talks in Washington between Trump and Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu. After the encounter, Trump said “nothing definitive” had been accomplished, indicating that wide differences remain.
Nevertheless, a reluctant Netanyahu agreed to join Trump’s “Board of Peace” which was originally intended to supervise Gaza’s ceasefire but was expanded to deal with tackling global conflicts.
Netanyahu not only insists on Tehran eliminating its nuclear programme but also wants the US to exert pressure for a reduction of Iran’s ballistic missiles.
[ Israel fears a US deal with Iran will be limited to curbing nuclear programmeOpens in new window ]
While Trump’s preference is for negotiations with Iran rather than war, Netanyahu’s objective is to use any means to topple the regime, which is unpopular at home and reviled abroad. This is not likely, as the regime retains the loyalty of the Revolutionary Guards and there is no united political alternative in Iran.
On the issue of the West Bank, a White House official said Trump opposes right-wing Israeli calls for Israeli supervision and military intervention in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority and for the annexation of the occupied territory.
“A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region,” the official said.
Eight Muslim-majority countries – Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Saudi Arabia – condemned potential annexation and said “illegal Israeli decisions and measures [are] aimed at imposing unlawful Israeli sovereignty” over Palestinian territory and displacing the Palestinian people.
