Death to America: Iran Celebrates Revolution

Carrying placards condemning the US and effigies of Uncle Sam, tens of thousands of Iranians today marched to Tehran's Freedom Square to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran.

The anti-US rally drew support from both hardliners and reformists, following a condemnation of Iran by the US president, George Bush, who referred to Iran as part of an "axis of evil" that supports terrorism.

During a speech to thousands of people gathered at the square, the Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami, appeared to blame US foreign policy for the September 11 attacks.

"The American people have every right to ask their leaders how long they should pay the price for their faulty policies. What policies and what reasons caused the September 11 attacks?" he said.

Tehran's streets were awash with colour as people marched to the square carrying thousands of balloons in the red, white and green colours of the Iranian flag. Helicopters overhead dropped red flowers over the crowds.

Men, women and children carried placards that read, "We still follow the ideals of the Islamic revolution," "Death to America" and "America cannot do a damn thing."

The last was a favourite expression of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of the revolution.

Today's demonstration is the final day of festivities called the "Ten-Day Dawn", celebrating the 1979 revolution, which swept the US-backed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi from power.

Over the past few days, newspapers and Iranian state-run radio and television have been urging participation in the rally. Mr Khatami, who has in the past called for unofficial dialogue with the US, said the rally's size was a sign of Iran's resolve.

"This year, despite insults to the great Iranian nation and the trumped up charges against it, the Iranian nation has commemorated the anniversary of its revolt on a greater scale than before," Mr Khatami said.

He continued: "These American policies are putting America against all the nations that are seeking to preserve their freedom and independence and are provoking animosity in the hearts of all nations."

US officials have stepped up their rhetoric against Iran in recent weeks, after Mr Bush used his state of the union speech to say the country "exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom".

Mr Bush said Iran has sought to acquire weapons of mass destruction, a view echoed last week by the CIA director, George Tenet, who told a Senate hearing that Iran may be able to produce by itself enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon by late this decade. He said this estimate could be cut by years if Iran is able to obtain materials from outside sources.

Last week Iran's foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi, denied that Tehran is seeking to obtain weapons of mass destruction and said that - unlike the US - it was adhering to international weapons treaties.

He accused Washington of torpedoing efforts to give teeth to the treaty banning biological weapons and of trying to undermine the chemical weapons convention. He also criticised it for abandoning the nuclear test ban treaty.