Crowds in Iran took to the streets to set fire to US and Israeli flags following the agreement of a two-week ceasefire just before Donald Trump’s ultimatum. The ceasefire was reached after a plea from the Pakistani Prime Minister for more time to facilitate diplomatic talks between Iran, the US, and Israel. Prior to the last-minute agreement, Trump had issued a grave warning, stating that a civilization would perish if a deal was not reached.
Trump retracted his doomsday threats less than two hours before the deadline he had imposed on Tehran. Pro-government demonstrators in Iran’s capital chanted “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!” while burning flags of the two nations in the streets.
This display of anger from hard-liners reflects their anticipation of a catastrophic confrontation with the United States. The ceasefire, conditional on Iran allowing ships to navigate the Strait of Hormuz which had been blocked since the conflict began, was agreed upon by Trump. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that passage through the strait would be under Iranian military supervision, with both Iran and Oman authorized to levy fees on passing ships.
Images from Enqelab square in Tehran showed demonstrators holding up pictures of the Ayatollah, burning flags, and celebrating the ceasefire announcement. The scene was a stark contrast to anti-war protests outside the White House just hours before the ceasefire agreement.
