Iran President says Trump aiming to bring country 'to its knees'

Iran's President accuses Trump of undermining the Islamic republic during celebrations marking the 1979 revolution.

Iran's President accused his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Monday (February 10, 2025) of seeking to bring the Islamic republic "to its knees" as the country marked the 1979 revolution that toppled the shah.

The revolution removed a pro-U.S. government in Iran, and the subsequent hostage-taking of American diplomats in Tehran ushered in decades of hostility between the United States and Iran.

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This year's celebrations carry additional weight following Mr. Trump's return to the White House. During his first term, Mr. Trump he pursued a policy of "maximum pressure" against the Islamic republic.

In the morning, people gathered in public spaces across Iran, accompanied by pop songs and patriotic ballads, to celebrate the anniversary of the overthrow of shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

In Tehran, they headed to the symbolic Azadi tower, whose name means "freedom" in Persian, and which is in a square formerly named in honour of the shah.

"Trump says, 'we want to talk', and... [then] he signs in a memorandum all the conspiracies to bring our revolution to its knees," Pezeshkian told the crowd, referring to Mr. Trump's reinstatement of sanctions against Tehran earlier this month.