News Brief: On December 29, senior Iranian civilian and military officials participated in the closing ceremony of The Third International Grand Award of “Down with USA” held in Tehran. The organizers of the event had asked artists, photojournalists, cartoonists and documentary-makers from all over the world to submit their works for the competition and promised monetary rewards for the winners. Topics discussed and reward categories at the event included: Why “Down with USA?”; Why Is US Not Reliable?; US and Oppression; US and Islamophobia; US and Global Zionism; US and Neocolonialism; US and Supporting Terrorism, among others.
Speaking at the exhibition, Brigadier General Rasoul Sanayee Rad, the deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) for political affairs, said: “Down with America is a lesson that we should learn from history. For example, [former Libyan dictator Muammar] Gaddafi downgraded missile and military capabilities and closed down nuclear installations to build trust [with the US]; after the attack on Libya, Gaddafi was trapped in a sewer pipe.”
Comment:
The “Death to America” exhibition shows that the 2015 nuclear deal has not lessened the Iranian regime’s hostility toward the United States, and that Iranian civilian and military leaders remain committed to promoting anti-Americanism both at home and abroad. The IRGC commander’s remarks also indicate that, despite the nuclear accord and UN resolutions, Tehran wants to preserve the option of resuming its pursuit of a nuclear bomb.
