Iran marked its Quds Day celebrations with a sharp condemnation of US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan. People filled the streets across Iran to voice opposition to the deal.

“Without a doubt, the Deal of the Century will turn into Failure of the Century, and will not yield results,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told media in Iran’s capital Friday, referring to a peace plan Washington hopes to unveil this summer.

#Iran’s president says the US deal of the century will turn into the greatest political fiasco of the century, and definitely will NOT come to fruition@HassanRouhani#UnitedStates#DealOfTheCenturypic.twitter.com/5kWZQxGYM3 — Press TV (@PressTV) May 31, 2019

Rouhani joined thousands of citizens in Tehran for a national tradition observed each year on the final Friday of Ramadan. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iranians have marked the day with an event in honor of al-Quds – the Arabic name for the city of Jerusalem – and the broader Palestinian cause. The event is celebrated in much of the Muslim world.

In a sea of colorful banners and flags, energized demonstrators marched through downtown Tehran chanting slogans, many harshly critical of the United States and Israel.

President Rouhani summed up the mood in his statement, describing the event as “the day of all Muslims standing up to the aggressors in the world,” hoping to send the message “that Palestine is always alive and Quds belongs to Muslims.”

The demos got heated, as some of the revelers marked the occasion by setting fire to American and Israeli flags, as well as effigies of President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Protesters in #Tehran burn Israeli flags and Trump effigy for #QudsDay march pic.twitter.com/L8FvFN0vo5 — Ruptly (@Ruptly) May 31, 2019

“It’s our duty based on the Quran to be sympathetic to Palestinians and tough on the Israelis,” one young female demonstrator told Press TV, when asked why she attended.

“I know there are so many problems in Iran … but the real importance is Islam,” another young lady said, sporting a bright yellow placard reading ‘al-Quds’ in large letters. “If we support together, if we stand together, we will be unbroken.”

Also on rt.com ‘Very nice’: Netanyahu pleased with Trump’s approval of Israel map including occupied Golan Heights

Washington has hyped a plan to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict for months, with White House adviser Jared Kushner taking point on the effort. Palestinian leadership, however, expects the offer to be one-sided and favorable to Israel, and has vowed to boycott any talks.

A meeting in Bahrain is set for June, but without Palestinian participation it remains unclear what kind of deal, if any, could be struck.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!