Dec. 21 (UPI) — The U.S. State Department marked the Persian winter solstice holiday of Shab-e Yalda with a criticism of the Iranian regime’s human rights record.
“Shab-e Yalda should be a joyful time. Unfortunately, the Iranian regime seeks to erase the Iranian people’s vibrant history by renaming Yalda and other ancient traditions,” the State Department said in a statement Thursday.
The Shab-e Yalda tradition dates back to pre-Islamic times and was associated with the Zoroastrian tradition despite being also celebrated by modern Muslims in Iran.
“Yalda is a time for hope and a commemoration of the triumph of light over darkness,” the State Department said.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have escalated in recent months with Iranian-allied groups threatening shipping in the Red Sea.
In November, the Ansar Allah movement, known colloquially as Houthis for the religious denomination most of its members are from, hijacked a Bahamas-flagged ship, the Galaxy Leader, in the Red Sea.
Tensions have also been escalating with the Lebanese, Iranian-backed, Hezbollah militant group, which has been clashing sporadically with Israeli forces in cross border fire.
Earlier this month, the U.S. and Britain sanctioned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds force for supporting Hamas. The U.S. also sanctioned several individuals with connections to the Houthi movement.
