Hundreds of Thousands Join Government Organized Rally in Tehran as Iran Expands Military Volunteer Drive

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in central Tehran on Friday for Iran’s largest government organized public rally since the war with the United States and Israel began, as authorities sought to demonstrate national unity and encourage civilians to prepare for military service.

The rally came as Iran faces growing economic pressure from U.S. sanctions and a naval blockade affecting its ports. The government used the event to promote a new volunteer campaign known as “Janfaday e Iran,” which roughly translates as those prepared to sacrifice themselves for Iran.

Participants marched through Tehran wearing military style clothing and carrying Iranian flags. State media had spent several days encouraging people to register for the initiative, with authorities saying participants would receive limited military training, including instruction in the use of assault rifles.

Courtesy: apnews

Iranian officials said the new volunteers would provide an additional layer of security alongside the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij paramilitary organization.

The scale of the rally was difficult to independently verify. Iran’s state broadcaster reported that more than 300,000 people were present in Tehran on Friday morning. General Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s Tehran forces, said more than 600,000 people had already registered for the volunteer program and claimed participation in the training could eventually exceed one million.

Hossein Taeb, the newly appointed head of the Basij, addressed the crowd and said the volunteers would be prepared for what he described as full scale national defence. He also indicated that similar events would be organized in other Iranian cities.

President Masoud Pezeshkian, senior military commanders and other officials attended the event as the government presented the gathering as a demonstration of resistance under continuing pressure from Washington and its allies.

Some participants carried out anti American and anti Israeli demonstrations, including chanting slogans against both countries and stepping on their flags.

One participant, 24 year old Marzieh Afaghi, attended with her husband and young child. She said she wanted to demonstrate that Iranians were not intimidated by threats against their country.

The event also served as a public display of Iran’s military capabilities. Anti aircraft systems, truck mounted machine guns and drones were presented during the rally. Female members of the Revolutionary Guard were also seen participating in the military style display.

Iran has increasingly highlighted its military presence around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes. The waterway has become a major point of tension during the conflict, with disruptions affecting the movement of oil and natural gas through the region.

On Friday, Iranian authorities said their forces had attacked a Togo flagged oil tanker named Trend. Iranian state media described the vessel’s movement through the Strait of Hormuz as an illegal attempt to pass through the waterway.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations organization separately reported that a tanker had been struck by a projectile and that a fire broke out aboard the vessel before being brought under control.

The organization also reported that ships being escorted or supported by the U.S. military near Oman had averaged about 24 transits a day over the previous week. Overall commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, however, remained around 90 percent below levels recorded before the war.

The rally comes as Iran continues to face serious economic difficulties. U.S. sanctions and restrictions on maritime trade have added pressure to an economy already struggling with inflation, reduced trade and disruptions to energy exports.

Beyond the immediate military message, the volunteer campaign is also raising questions about Iran’s internal security strategy.

Iran experienced major nationwide protests in January, shortly before the war began. The demonstrations initially focused heavily on economic conditions but later expanded into broader opposition to the country’s political system.

Activists have claimed that the subsequent government crackdown resulted in more than 7,000 deaths and tens of thousands of arrests. Those figures have not been independently verified.

The latest recruitment campaign could provide Iranian authorities with a larger pool of trained personnel at a time when the government remains concerned about renewed domestic unrest.

In May, Iranian officials also claimed that more than 30 million people had registered through online forms or public gatherings to express their willingness to defend the country. That figure could not be independently confirmed.

Friday’s gathering therefore served several purposes for the Iranian government. It presented an image of public solidarity during wartime, promoted a new military volunteer program and showcased weapons and security forces at a time when Tehran is under sustained military and economic pressure.

The participation figures remain based largely on government estimates, making the precise size of the gathering difficult to establish independently. Nevertheless, the event represented a significant public mobilization in Tehran and demonstrated the government’s effort to strengthen both external military preparedness and internal security as the conflict continues.