(JNS.org) Amid the ongoing stalemate in nuclear talks, millions of Iranians reportedly turned out in rallies across their country, calling for “death to Israel” and “down with America,” as they burned flags and effigies of President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The demonstrations are part of the annual “Al-Quds Day” rallies that were established in 1979 to call for the “liberation” of Jerusalem. New to this year’s rallies were protests against Saudi Arabia over its leading role in the air campaign against Iranian-backed Shi’a Houthi rebels in Yemen. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) called the demonstrations a “chilling reminder of Iran’s worldview.” “Public demonstrations in Iran on this scale, saturated with hatred of Israel and the United States, do not take place without government sanction,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris. “They remind us yet again why Iran must be prevented from achieving the capacity to develop and produce nuclear weapons.”