Tens of thousands of Iranians chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Saddam" today as they marched through Tehran in the first major anti-war rally in Iran since the conflict began. Windows were broken in the British embassy where crowds gathered in protest at British involvement in the war on Iraq.
Anti-war sentiment had previously been muted in the Islamic Republic. Few Iranians have much sympathy for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who ordered the use of chemical weapons against Iranian troops in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
Today's state-organised demonstration emphasised Iran's opposition to the attack on its western neighbour, without offering any support for Saddam.
Iran has vowed to remain neutral in the conflict. "We consider the US-British attack on Iraq to be illegal and we condemn it," a speaker shouted as some of the crowd set fire to US and Israeli flags and burned an effigy of Mr Bush.
Protesters carried placards, many in English, reading "No War" and "Down with USA". One large banner depicted missiles and the US flag and the words "Cruise Democracy".
Around 300 gathered outside the embassy of Britain,Washington's main ally in the war, chanting "Death to Britain"and "British hypocrites should be expelled from Iran".
At least a dozen windows on an embassy building facing thestreet were smashed by stones but police said an attempt tobreak into the walled compound was thwarted. A British diplomatsaid a man climbed onto the wall but was pulled down by police.
Cheers erupted each time a window was hit. Several stonethrowers were arrested and about 20 riot police guarded theembassy's main gate as calm was restored.Violent protests are unusual in Iran, where authoritiesgenerally keep a firm hand on street rallies.
Iran's anti-US stance is a central pillar of its foreign policy. Diplomatic ties were severed after the 1979 Islamic revolution, when students stormed the US embassy and took diplomats hostage.
Washington last year included Iran on its "axis of evil" list, along with Iraq and North Korea. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this week denounced US policy as a new form of "Hitlerism".
Some in Iran fear Washington could turn to Iran after dealing with Iraq.