Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, including the United States, is not enough reason for the Islamic nation to drop its "Death to America" slogan.
A big majority of Iranian lawmakers—192 members of the country's 290-seat parliament—made the assertion in a statement published by state news agency IRNA.
The lawmakers said Iranians should continue chanting this slogan at the weekly Friday prayers in mosques and at protests despite the nuclear deal since "Death to America" has already "turned into the symbol of the Islamic republic and all struggling nations."
The lawmakers also advised the Iranian government as well as the parliament to "act carefully in line with the honourable leader's wise guidance," referring to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader.
Khamenei earlier endorsed the controversial nuclear deal, which lifts sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbing the country's nuclear programme.
The revered Iranian leader, however, warned against US "infiltration" of the values of Iranian society.
"America is the main part of the problem in the region, not part of the solution," Khamenei said, as quoted by Yahoo News.
Addressing Iranian students on Tuesday, however, Iran's supreme leader, however, clarified that the slogan "Death To America" does not call for violence against people from the US.
He explained that the slogan is more of a critique of American policies. Iran and the US cut diplomatic ties in 1979, after militant Iranian students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani also earlier told US citizens that the "Death to America" slogan should not be taken personally.
"This slogan that is chanted is not a slogan against the American people. Our people respect the American people. But ... the policies of the United States have been against the national interests of Iranian people (so) it's understandable that people will demonstrate sensitivity to this issue," Rouhani said, as quoted by Yahoo News.
