at the facility last month, which included an escape by her boyfriend — a convicted murderer.
Other rooms contain black-and-white photos of the embassy takeover. A large painting of one of the images shows U.S. Marine Sgt. Ladell Maples of Earle, Arkansas, and Cpl. Steve Kirtley of Little Rock, Arkansas, with their hands above their heads at the time of the takeover.Images like those of surrendering American troops carry a strong resonance for hard-liners in Iran. Hanging on another wall is an artist’s rendering of Iran’s 2016 capture of 10 U.S. sailors in the Persian Gulf before their release a day later.
Some of the walls in the chancery bore fresh paint, although others still show some of the students’ graffiti.“The den of espionage must be shut down,” it reads in Farsi, while another line honors Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who became supreme leader of Iran after returning from exile in France earlier in 1979.In English, it reads: “There is no time for intervention in Iran anymore.”
One wall features a poster in Farsi reading, “Death to America,” although it offers an alternative English translation of “Down with America.”Another reads: “Death to the USA,” with the letter “U’’ bearing the profile of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; the “S’’ the pompadour of President Donald Trump; and the “A’’ the moustache of former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton, a longtime hawk on Iran.
“Death to America means ‘Death to Trump, John Bolton and Pompeo,’” the sign’s caption reads, quoting a February speech by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the current supreme leader, published by his website.
“Death to these individuals means death to American leaders. We have nothing to do with the American people,” it saysOnce 60 countries ratify the treaty, a 120-day countdown begins before it officially enters into force. That would unlock the ability to begin designating protected areas in the high seas and put oversight mechanisms into motion.
As of Monday evening, 49 countries and the EU had ratified, meaning 11 more are needed to trigger that countdown.People enjoy the beach as vessels sail during the “Ocean Wonders” themed event in honor of World Oceans Day ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Nice, France. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)
People enjoy the beach as vessels sail during the “Ocean Wonders” themed event in honor of World Oceans Day ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Nice, France. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)The first Conference of the Parties (COP1) must take place within one year of the treaty’s entry into force. That meeting will lay the groundwork for implementation, including decisions on governance, financing and the creation of key bodies to evaluate marine protection proposals.