Preparations for the upcoming commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War have basically completed.
The grand gathering, which includes a military parade, will start at 09:00 on Wednesday in Beijing.
Two enormous installations, resembling gates in the Great Wall with the years 1945 and 2025 adorning the top, dominate Tian'anmen Square in the center of Beijing.
Seven white doves on each side of the gates symbolize the yearning for peace during the 14 years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945).
Gold, red and green, symbolizing the nation's strength rooted in its people, form the main color palette for decorations around the square.
A temporary viewing platform capable of accommodating 37,000 people has been set up in the square which, along with spectator seating on both sides of Chang'an Avenue, will be able to seat 50,000 people at once for the grand event.
Some 80,000 balloons in six colors and 80,000 doves, symbolizing peace, are set to arrive at the square on Wednesday morning.
A choir of 3,000 students from 40 universities in Beijing will perform patriotic songs, including "Along the Songhua River" and "Defend the Yellow River," in the square.
More than 4,200 volunteers will assist in the celebrations, some of which began to take up their posts on Tuesday.
Preparations for V-Day commemorations completed
Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani on Tuesday urged the UN secretary-general and the Security Council to condemn the United States for inciting violence and threatening to use force against his country.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Somali UN ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman, who serves as the rotating president of the Security Council for January, Iravani accused U.S. President Donald Trump of openly inciting violence in Iran, citing Trump's post on social media platform Truth Social.
"This reckless statement explicitly encourages political destabilization, incites and invites violence, and threatens the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Iravani said in the letter.
He also called on the UN secretary-general and the Security Council "to fulfill their Charter-based responsibilities by unequivocally condemning all forms of incitement to violence, threats to use force, and interference" in Iran's internal affairs by the United States.
Iran is also urging all UN member states to refrain from provocative and irresponsible statements or actions that violate the UN Charter, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Iran, the letter said.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Iran's mission to the UN accused the U.S. of trying to stage "regime change" in the country, using sanctions, threats, engineered unrest and chaos to manufacture a pretext for military intervention.
With U.S. officials repeatedly threatening to intervene, Chief Commander of the Iranian Army Amir Hatami has stressed that the Iranian armed forces are in a state of full readiness, warning that any miscalculation by "enemies" would trigger a decisive response.
Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh has also said that the country will respond forcefully to any attack and "defend the country with full force and until the last drop of blood."
The United States virtual embassy in Iran on Tuesday urged U.S. citizens to leave the country.
According to media reports on Wednesday, the U.S. is withdrawing some of its personnel from its military bases in the Middle East as a precaution amid heightened regional tensions.
Qatar has also confirmed that personnel are departing U.S. bases there over "regional tensions."
Meanwhile, media reports quoted anonymous sources saying that Iran has warned neighboring countries hosting U.S. forces that U.S. military bases could be targeted if the U.S. intervenes in the ongoing unrests.
Iran calls on UN chief, Security Council to condemn U.S. for inciting violence
