Iran marks National Day by blaming U.S.

TEHRAN, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians demonstrated in Tehran Monday on the eve of the 29th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. embassy on Nov. 4, 1979.

The crowd, which included students, shouted anti-U.S. slogans and read a six-point statement that called for "unconditional withdrawal" by the United States from all Islamic countries, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.

Calling the United States the main cause of insecurity in the world, the demonstrators blamed U.S. policies for the current global economic crisis.

The anniversary of the U.S. embassy takeover is marked throughout Iran each year by demonstrations and rallies against the United States.

It is called National Day Against Global Arrogance and has been an Iranian tradition since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"I am here because I want to defend my country and say that I will stand in front of America and will follow the way of our leader," one Iranian student told Press TV.