Though not as common as the “Death to America” slogan, Iranians also chant “Death to Israel” and “Death to Britain” at public rallies.
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The USA “would not hesitate” to destroy Iran if given the chance, the Ayatollah added during remarks before Iranian students.
The lawmakers said Iranians should continue chanting this slogan at the weekly Friday prayers in mosques and at protests despite the nuclear deal since “Death to America” has already “turned into the symbol of the Islamic republic and all struggling nations”. The reason, according to Mashable, was that “the decor too closely resembles the US flag, and its presence ‘can be seen as a part of American influence into Iranian culture'”.
Despite a thaw in relations during the nuclear talks, Iran’s hardliners are wary of embracing any Western-style restaurants, which they say is “behavior contrary to Islamic-Iranian culture and traditions”.
Asked about the ayatollah’s defense of the “Death to America” slogan, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau told reporters today that she “can’t speak to what Iran is thinking”.
Iran’s moderate President Hassan Rouhani has previously explained the meaning behind the “Death to America” chants, saying it does not mean death to the American people, but rather, death to USA foreign policy.
Khamenei’s clarification comes just before the November 4 anniversary of the beginning of the Iranian hostage crisis – when Iranian revolutionaries stormed the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
But Khamenei, who has faced criticism from hardliners at home over the landmark nuclear agreement with the United States, also attempted to draw a line between the American people and their administration.
Only a day after it opened, Iran has shut down what officials reportedly thought was a branch of the USA fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken.
“This shows that the Americans, at the height of the [revolutionary] movement and the victory of the Revolution, were conspiring against the Islamic Republic; that is what America is”, the Leader said. “But…the policies of the United States have been against the national interests of Iranian people, [so] it’s understandable that people will demonstrate sensitivity to this issue”.
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“We should make efforts to block all paths for the Americans and the Europeans to organize conspiracies and avoid lifting the sanctions”, Araqchi said, referring to the importance of implementing the JCPOA.
