Iran’s Rouhani marks revolution’s anniversary: ‘We will not let America become victorious’

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday reportedly pledged to citizens celebrating the 40th anniversary of the country’s revolution that they would overcome U.S. efforts to isolate Iran.

“We will not let America become victorious… Iranian people have and will have some economic difficulties but we will overcome the problems by helping each other,” Rouhani said in a speech in Tehran, according to Reuters.

The news service reported that hundreds of thousands of people marched to commemorate the anniversary of the Iranian revolution, which saw the rise of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. A few reportedly burned U.S. flags, while some groups chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.”

{mosads}Reuters noted that a senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said in a speech that the country would not give in to calls from the U.S. and other countries to withdraw its forces from the Middle East.

“The enemy cannot ask us to leave the region. They must leave the region,” the general reportedly said.

The Trump administration has taken a hard-line approach toward Iran, pulling out of the Obama-era nuclear pact with the country and reimposing sanctions that have crippled parts of Iran’s economy.

Administration officials have portrayed Iran as a grave threat to U.S. security, though intelligence leaders said recently that the country was not currently developing nuclear weapons.

President Trump indicated that he disagreed with his intelligence officials over Iran, and said in an interview earlier this month he wants to keep U.S. forces in Iraq to be able to “watch” Iran.