Iranians rally for retaliatory strikes against Israel and to "free Palestine"

Iranians have staged nationwide rallies to express their support for the country's retaliatory strikes against Israeli targets last week, media reports say.

In Tehran, demonstrators marched from the University of Tehran to Enghelab Square. They carried placards featuring slogans against Israel and the US, expressing support for the strikes launched on the night of April 13, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The procession also demonstrated solidarity with the Palestinians, asserting that Palestine would be "liberated".

Similar rallies were also held in other cities, including Tabriz, Mashhad and Isfahan, where participants called Iran's drone and missile attacks "legitimate defence".

Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones toward Israel last Saturday, 13 April, in response to an Israeli airstrike on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital city of Damascus on 1 April. The strike killed seven Iranians, including two veteran commanders.