Thousands of fighters march through streets of Tehran in show of force after proxies weakened

Thousands of fighters affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paraded with heavy weapons and vehicles through the streets of Tehran on Friday showing their readiness to face “threats.”

The parade by paramilitary Basij volunteers comes after the weakening of the Iranian proxy groups Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, as well as the fall of the Iran-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Vehicles mounted with rocket launchers, artillery and naval commandos move through the streets. Fighters in combat gear march on foot with rocket launchers, and black-clad women carried rifles.

Some drag coffins adorned with Israeli flags, as flags of the Hezbollah terror group fly along with Iranian and Palestinian banners.

IRGC commander General Mohammadreza Naghdi singles out Iran’s enemies, the United States and Israel, during the gathering.

The US, he says, was “behind all the misfortune in the Muslim world.”

As for Israel, “If we are able to destroy the Zionist regime and withdraw the American bases in the region, one of our big problems will be resolved,” he says.

Another IRGC commander, General Hassan Hassanzadeh, tells state television that one aim of the rally was to “support the population of Gaza and Palestine.”

“We also want to show that the Basij are ready to confront all threats from enemies of the Islamic revolution,” Hassanzadeh says.