Iranians shout anti-US slogans, with Haji Bakhshi, center holding a gun and another holding a photo of Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Thousands of Iranians have gathered outside the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the seizure of the building by Islamic radicals.

The demonstrators, mostly students, carried banners and shouted slogans proclaiming "Death to America" and Death to Israel."

Islamic radicals stormed the U.S. Embassy on November fourth, 1979, and held American diplomats for 444 days.  The takeover came shortly after the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini that toppled the Shah of Iran.

The United States and other Western nations are trying to persuade the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear program.  The West says Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons.  Tehran says its nuclear program is meant to provide electricity.