The New York Times on Tuesday described the festive mood at celebrations held today in Tehran to mark the 35th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, reporting that “clowns explained to children the importance of brushing their teeth,” “parachutists dropped candy into the crowds,” and attendees were led in chants of “Death to America,” “Death to Obama,” “Death to Kerry,” and “Death to [State Department Undersecretary Wendy] Sherman.”

Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that speakers and crowds had also indulged in chants of “Death to Israel,” though those had eluded mention by the Times.

The event came a day after the insidery NightWatch security bulletin emphasized policy consistency across the administrations of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, assessing that “Muslim zealots remain in control in Tehran… [and] their political theology relative to the destruction of Israel matches that of the Sunni jihadists” and that “Rouhani is no more tolerant of Israel and the U.S. than is [Al Qaeda leader Ayman] Zawahiri.”

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