Palestine Square Countdown Clock
Palestine Square Countdown Clock is a digital clock located in Tehran's Palestine Square, Iran. The clock counts down the putative days to the predicted destruction of the state of Israel. It was unveiled on Quds Day on June 2017.
History and installation
In June 2017, coinciding with the annual Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) rallies, Iran unveiled a large digital clock in Palestine Square.{{Cite web |date=2017-06-26 |title=Iranian protesters unveil clock showing 8,411 days until the end of Israel |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-al-quds-day-protest-clock-president-hassan-rouhani-a7806056.html |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=The Independent |language=en}} The clock was programmed to count down from 8,411 days, corresponding to a 2015 statement by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who predicted that: "Israel won't exist in 25 years.".{{Cite web |last=Halevi |first=Yossi Klein |date=2024-10-07 |title=Opinion: Israel is fighting to beat Iran's doomsday clock |url=https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-10-07/israel-hamas-oct-7-iran-hezbollah |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=2024-08-26 |title=Our trip inside Iran was a closely managed affair, then we got a glimpse of the regime's control |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-27/inside-iran-israel-as-middle-east-brink-of-war-four-corners/104229994 |access-date=2025-06-23 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} He claimed in his statement that there will be nothing left of the Jewish state by 2024.{{Cite web |date=2017-07-05 |title=Iran, countdown for Israel's destruction: |url=https://www.lastampa.it/esteri/la-stampa-in-english/2017/07/05/news/iran-countdown-for-israel-s-destruction-1.34447003/ |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=La Stampa |language=it}} Protesters annually chant “Death to Israel”. The installation was part of a much broader demonstration involving over a million participants, where anti-Israel slogans and imagery were prominently featured.{{Cite web |last=Agencies and ToI Staff |title=Unveiling clock showing 8,411 days left for Israel, Iranians rage against Jewish state |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/iranians-parade-missiles-shout-death-to-israel-in-annual-rally/ |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Kershner |first=Isabel |date=2025-06-19 |title=Why Israelis Fear the Prospect of a Nuclear-Armed Iran |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/world/middleeast/israel-nuclear-iran-threat.html |access-date=2025-06-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |date=2024-10-07 |title=Opinion: Israel is fighting to beat Iran's doomsday clock |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/opinion-israel-fighting-beat-irans-100002595.html |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-US}}
The Israel Defence Force bombed the clock on 23 June 2025 during the course of the Iran-Israel War, whereupon the semi-official Mehr news agency published a short video on social media which purportedly showed it still ticking down the days to September 2040 (sic), with Israel having 5,569 days left (Friday 21 September 2040). The video could not be verified.https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/iranian-outlet-publishes-footage-of-israel-doomsday-clock-that-idf-said-it-destroyed/
Design and features
The clock is a large electronic billboard which displays the message: "Only [X] days remaining to the annihilation of Israel" in Farsi, English, and Arabic visible from anywhere in the square. Despite having had several malfunctions halting the countdown, it remains a significant symbol.{{Cite web |last=Bivins |first=Alyssa |date=2025-01-29 |title=Iran, Palestine and the Axis of Resistance |url=https://merip.org/2025/01/iran-palestine-axis/ |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=MERIP |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-12-23 |title=Iran's Two Ticking Clocks |url=https://quillette.com/2024/12/23/irans-two-ticking-clocks/ |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=Quillette |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Filseth |first=Trevor |date=2021-07-18 |title=Iran Power Outages: Israel Doomsday Countdown Clock Goes Out |url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/lebanon-watch/iran-power-outages-israel-doomsday-countdown-clock-goes-out-189579/ |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=The National Interest |language=en-US}}
Symbolism and political context
The Palestine Square Countdown Clock symbolizes the Islamic Republic of Iran's belief that in opposing Zionism it can bring about the end of the Israeli state, state policy held by country's political and religious leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The clock has been criticized worldwide and is seen by many as a symbol of existential hostility towards Israel.
Public reception and criticism
The installation has elicited mixed reactions both domestically and internationally. While it is celebrated by hardline factions within Iran as a bold statement of defiance, it has also drawn criticism for inciting hatred and perpetuating regional tensions. Observers note that such displays contribute to the ongoing cycle of hostility in the Middle East.{{Cite web |last=Ben-Ami |first=Shlomo |date=2024-07-18 |title=Israel is enabling Iran's war of attrition |url=https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/israel-is-enabling-irans-war-of-attrition/ |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=The Strategist |language=en-AU}}