Iranians have held a rare moment of celebration amid the US-Israel war on the country, flocking to the streets of Tehran to enjoy a military brass band and parading scooters as they marked the Shia holiday of Eid al-Ghadir.
On Thursday, the streets of Tehran, festooned with brightly coloured balloons and Iranian flags and full of revellers stretching for kilometres, offered a stark contrast to the tense diplomatic sphere.
Hadi Shabazi, the 42-year-old head of an online education centre, said the Iranian people were "conveying a message of strength and power" by celebrating the festival despite the war.
A few hours before the celebrations began, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei released a written statement in which he warned that Israel and the United States were seeking to divide Iran after a "stinging setback" in the war.
Rabiei, a retired 58-year-old teacher who declined to give her first name, said Iranians had to turn out because if they didn't, "the enemy's vain ambitions and greed would only increase".
Many revellers were out with their families, with one young couple taking the opportunity to get married.
'Should not back down'
Iranian authorities have turned the festival into a major event, but the war was never far away.
An Iranian missile was on display in the middle of the road, with locals gathering around it to be photographed.
"If these officials truly hear the people's voice and if it matters to them, then they should not negotiate and should not back down under any circumstances," said Reyhaneh Ab-Roshan, an 18-year-old student.
Iranian authorities have sought to link negotiations with the United States to Israel's aggression against Lebanon.
"They need support, enthusiasm, and encouragement, and in a way they need the support of the Iranian people," said Farid Ahmadi, a 29-year-old lawyer.
"We must stand behind them."
US joined Israel in attacking Iran on February 28, with strikes quickly killing the longtime supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and much of the other top brass.
But Iran quickly hit back by exerting control over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passageway through which one-fifth of global oil once sailed, and it has rained missiles and drones on US-allied Gulf Arab monarchies, shattering the oil-rich countries' hard-earned reputation for stability.
After 40 days of war, Iran has been largely peaceful since a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire kicked into place on April 8.
But weeks of negotiations have failed to bring about a long-term peace deal while tensions remain high with occasional exchanges of fire, like that this week in the Strait of Hormuz, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Israel and the US have long accused Iran of wanting to build a nuclear weapon, with President Trump claiming that threat as justification for attacking Iran.
Trump has insisted that Iran must accept in any deal to end the war that it will not have a nuclear weapon and that the uranium is destroyed.
Tehran has repeatedly denied having any military ambitions, insisting on its right to the technology for civilian purposes.
