Iranians burned American flags while chanting "Death to America" on Thursday to celebrate the anniversary of its militant takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran nearly four decades ago.
Thousands rallied outside of the former embassy building while setting fire to U.S. and Israeli flags, the Associated Press reported.
Protests gather annually outside of the compound that formerly held the embassy to commemorate Nov. 4, 1979, when Iranian militant students stormed the diplomatic complex, holding 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. The takeover was in retribution for Washington's refusal to return the deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi for trial in Iran.
The U.S. severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 1980. Tensions between the two nations remain strained despite a nuclear deal inked between Washington, Tehran, and five other world powers last year.
