Every year on the Fourth of July, Americans gather beneath a sky illuminated by fireworks, celebrating the birth of a nation founded on one revolutionary idea: that people have the right to live in freedom. Independence Day commemorates July 4, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence proclaimed that the American colonies would no longer live under tyranny, but would instead chart their own destiny as a free nation. It is a day that honors the courage of ordinary men and women who dared to believe that liberty was worth every sacrifice.

Freedom is never simply given. It is earned through courage, protected through sacrifice, and preserved by generations who refuse to surrender it.
For millions of people around the world, the Fourth of July is more than an American holiday. It is a reminder that even the most powerful systems of oppression are not permanent.

For the people of Iran, that reminder carries profound meaning.
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, generations of Iranians have lived under a regime that has systematically suppressed political dissent, imprisoned critics, persecuted and tortured religious minorities, censored the press, and responded harshly to protests. Countless families have endured imprisonment, torture, executions, and the loss of loved ones simply because they dreamed of a freer future.

Time and again, the people of Iran have risen to demand dignity, justice, and the right to determine their own future. Time and again, they have faced violent crackdowns. During major protests, authorities have repeatedly shut down internet access, making it difficult for the outside world to witness events as they unfold and allowing competing narratives to emerge.

Yet hope has never disappeared.

Millions of Iranians have continued to raise their voices for freedom despite enormous personal risk. According to some opposition groups, the recent nationwide protests were met with overwhelming force, resulting in 42,000 of deaths, thousands of arrests, and continuing executions following proceedings that many international human rights organizations have criticized as unfair. Whatever the exact figures, countless Iranian families have paid an unimaginable price in their pursuit of liberty.

History teaches us something dictators never seem to learn.

Fear can silence voices for a season, but it cannot extinguish the human desire to be free.

Prisons cannot imprison an idea whose time has come.

Bullets cannot erase hope.

Darkness cannot defeat light forever.

The story of America proves that ordinary people can change history. What once seemed impossible became reality because brave individuals refused to accept that tyranny was the final chapter.

That is why the Fourth of July inspires not only Americans, but also people everywhere who continue to fight for freedom.

To the American people: thank you for preserving the ideals that have inspired generations across the world. Your Independence Day reminds humanity that liberty is worth defending and that democracy, however imperfect, remains one of history’s greatest achievements.

To the people of Iran: do not lose hope. Your courage is seen. Your sacrifices are remembered. Your determination continues to inspire millions who believe that every nation deserves the right to choose its own future.

One day, we hope the people of Iran will celebrate their own Independence Day, not with fear, but with fireworks; not with censorship, but with free voices; not with prisons, but with possibility.

Happy Fourth of July to the United States of America.

May the spirit of liberty continue to inspire the world.

And may the day come when the people of Iran stand together in a free nation, celebrating their own hard-earned independence with the same pride, gratitude, and joy that Americans celebrate today.

Because history has shown us, again and again, that courage outlives fear, hope outlives despair, and in the end, light always overcomes darkness.