Iranians rally in Tehran to express support for government

Iranians took to the streets of Tehran on Saturday to show support for their country and government and protest against military actions by the United States and Israel.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. and Israel launched what U.S. President Donald Trump called "major combat operations" against Iran, plunging the war-torn Middle East into a new round of violent conflict.

"I came here today to show my government and our armed forces that I stand with them. We are stronger than ever, and we stand firmly behind our country," said Saina, a Tehran Resident.

"We are here to show that we will always support our government. Like anyone else, I felt nervous — but I am here because I love my country. They may know exactly where we are. They may even know the position of our Supreme Leader. But he is not afraid — and neither are we," said Reza, another resident.

Waving national flags and holding portraits of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the crowd chanted slogans condemning Israel and the U.S. while voicing support for the government.

Iran's state media confirmed Sunday that Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks on Saturday, and the Iranian government announced a 40-day mourning period after the report of the leader's death.

"We stand firm in support of our nation. We are here to show that we are ready to defend our country. I am just an ordinary citizen, but I am prepared to stand for my homeland," said Amir Ali, a Tehran resident.

"We are ready to sacrifice our lives if necessary, but we will not give up a single inch of our country to Israel," said Leila, another resident.

Iranians rally in Tehran to express support for government

Returning to a full-scale war would have catastrophic consequences, a UN spokesman said at a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday. Recent tensions over the Strait of Hormuz have exposed the deep divisions between the United States and Iran, further heightening uncertainty over their fragile ceasefire.

In response to a media query regarding the claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that the weeks-long ceasefire with Iran is on "massive life support," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, stressed the need for concerted efforts to stay committed to negotiations.

He said that the United Nations will not be swayed by the rhetoric of the parties involved in the U.S.-Iran negotiations, and its core objective is to push all parties to remain committed to negotiations.

"We have tried over the years in all of our diplomatic efforts not to listen too much to the rhetoric by any particular side involved in negotiations. What we want to do is make sure that the parties themselves remain committed to negotiations. Certainly, we appreciate the role that Pakistan has been playing as a mediator, and we want the efforts to continue. A return to full-scale fighting would be, as the Secretary-General has repeatedly said, catastrophic," he said. Both U.S. and Iranian forces have fired shots at each other in the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire took effect earlier last month.

Returning to full-scale US-Iran war would be "catastrophic": UN official