Email, Alex Vatanka, adjunct scholar, Middle East Institute, March 12, 2015

12:59 p.m.

I have never heard of an "holiday" as such but the regime does mark the Nov 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy. Maybe he means the "13 Aban." They have folks in the streets but this is not a holiday but a regime orchestrated show of anti-Americanism. As far as I know it's not a day off so Cruez is technically wrong. It's not Iran's version of the 4th July but the iranian regime's "Guy Fawkes Day." (I.e far smaller in everyday symbolism). That said, the regime's history of spewing anti-Americanism is rich.

Alex