Large crowds in Tehran used a holiday in support of Palestinians to voice their disapproval of the U.S. and Israel on Friday.
Al-Quds Day drew hardliners to Iran’s capital, with many of them skeptical that any deal between Iran and the six other members of the international community would be successful.
“The next president will find an excuse to be bad with us. We can’t make friends with America or Israel. Just like imam Khomeini said, America is the Great Satan,” said 26-year-old journalist Hassan Khanalizadeh, NBC reported.
China, France, Germany, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. are all working to secure a nuclear deal with Iran that would allow sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation to be lifted.
“Today, I am here to punch Israel in the mouth,” said Fatemeh Hossieni, 61, NBC reported. “Israel will be destroyed, America will be destroyed — so will ISIS and England,” the English teacher said.
Iran and the six major world powers have extended nuclear talks until Monday. The extension has been the third in two weeks.
“We are making progress. It’s painfully slow,” British Secretary Philip Hammond said from Vienna on Friday, Reuters reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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