Iranians mark 2009 rallies against foreign-backed 'sedition'

Iranians have taken to the streets to mark the anniversary of 2009 historic rallies, during which people renewed their allegiance to the Islamic establishment and put an end to foreign-orchestrated riots.

On this day in 2009, millions of Iranians rallied in the capital Tehran and other cities to end what the Iranian authorities described as "sedition" which had been going on for months following presidential elections earlier that year.

People were especially incensed by the incidents that occurred days earlier in Tehran, where a group of rioters engaged in blaspheming Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein, the third Shia Imam.

On Sunday, people from all walks of life took part in nationwide demonstrations to mark the “Dey 9 epic” which refers to the mass rallies held on the ninth day of the Persian calendar month of Dey.

The unrest in 2009 was orchestrated by Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Musavi, two of the candidates who had lost the election, claiming that the results had been rigged. Both remain under house arrest on charges of provoking the public and harming the national security. 

Addressing the demonstrators, a top commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said the post-election unrest in 2009 was the acme of plots hatched by major powers against Iran.

IRGC’s second-in-command, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, also urged the Iranian nation to maintain its vigilance in the face of countless plots hatched by the enemies.

The military commander added that the unrest that followed presidential election in 2009 was more dangerous for the country than the Iraqi-imposed war of the 1980s.

Salami also took aim at the US threat to use military force against Iran, noting that all enemies’ options against the Islamic Republic are doomed to fail.

The general stated that the power of the United States is on the decline on political, economic and military fronts while Iran is now stronger than ever.

Speaking on Sunday, Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani highlighted foreign meddling, especially by the US, in the 2009 post-election riots.

"The US interference was evident" from the attempts to use any political and security weaknesses inside Iran to damage the nation's interests, he said.

"It seems that America is still stuck in its deplorable delusion, vigorously pursuing sanctions against Iran with an anti-Iran propaganda machine, to the extent that it cannot help enunciating its empty wishes," he said.

Read more:

• Zaghari arrested over links to 2009 Iran riots: Official

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