Death to America

Death to America^[a] is an anti-American political slogan widely used in North Korea, Iran,^[1] Afghanistan,^[2] Lebanon,^[3] Yemen,^[4] Iraq,^[5][6] and Pakistan.^[7][8] Originally used by North Korea since the Korean War,^[9][10] Ruhollah Khomeini, the first supreme leader of Iran, popularized the term.^[11] He opposed the chant for radio and television, but not for protests and other occasions.^[1]

The literal meaning of the Persian phrase "Marg bar Âmrikâ" is "Death to America." In most official Iranian translations, the phrase is translated into English as the less crude "Down with America."^[12][13] The chant "Death to America" has come to be employed by various anti-American groups and protesters worldwide.^[14]

Iranian officials generally explain that the slogan in its historical context has been provoked by the U.S. government's hostile policies towards Iran and expresses outrage at those policies, and does not wish for literal death for American people themselves.^[15] In a speech to university students, Iran's Supreme Leader, Khamenei, interpreted the slogan as "death to the U.S.'s policies, death to arrogance."^[16] Following a meeting with Army and Air Force commanders, Khamenei declared that the Iranian people are not against American people, but that "Death to America" means down with American leaders, in this case Donald Trump (President), John Bolton (National Security Advisor), and Mike Pompeo (Secretary of State).^[17][18]

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