Semnan protesters rally against remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Protesters in Semnan Province, Iran, held the 227th ‘Nights of Authority and Resilience’ gathering to voice opposition to recent comments made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Participants in Shahroud and other areas of the province chanted anti-American slogans in response to Rubio’s remarks regarding the history of Iran and ancient Greece.

Local officials condemned the statements. Morteza Motiee, the representative of the Supreme Leader in Semnan, dismissed the comments as baseless, while Governor Mohammad Javad Kolivand stated that such strategies by the enemy would not succeed.

During a separate event marking the 20th anniversary of the Semnan Journalists Association, Motiee also praised the role of the media in covering these public gatherings and emphasized the importance of journalistic honesty and national interest.