The first home-made American flag put to the torch took awhile to light yesterday, as tens of thousands Iranians celebrated the 23rd anniversary of their Islamic revolution with renewed gusto.

Finally, it burst into flame, spreading fire to a dozen more flags clustered nearby. Chanting "Death to America," the crowd parted like the Red Sea as the fireball spread above their heads, engulfing an effigy of President George W. Bush and an Uncle Sam.

Burning the Stars and Stripes is nothing new in Tehran, though in recent years - as both Iran and the US played cat and mouse over improving relations - the wan ritual faded in importance. Until yesterday.

Bush's new posture toward Iran - calling it part of an "axis of evil" - appears to be energizing hard-liners and bolstering anti-American sentiment to the highest level in at least a decade.

Some Iranians do back Washington's new hard line against the Islamic regime, in which it accuses Iran of developing weapons of mass destruction, providing refuge to Al Qaeda fighters, and trying to destabilize Afghanistan - all charges Iran denies. But many others say that Bush's words are a setback: They have revitalized hardliners, weakened already beleaguered reformers, and frozen any chance of détente with Iran.

It also - almost by definition - makes it impossible for the US to explore expanding Iran's first helpful steps in Washington's post-Sept. 11 war against terrorism. "The reform movement [led by President Mohammad Khatami] was dying," says a woman long-time observer at the rally. "Now Bush has killed it."

Indeed, if the rally is any gauge of popular thinking today, it may mark a watershed period. Leaders of both hard-line and reform camps called for massive participation, and cast it as a popular response to Bush's "threat."

Anti-Americanism took over, as a once withering root of the regime became invested with new strength. At an event that in recent years was the purview only of true believers, yesterday a cross section of Iranians turned up.

Among the usual crowd crammed into Azadi Square, were some unusual: Women of fashion - from more exclusive parts of north Tehran - and entire families, many of whom hadn't participated in the past. Some said they were so fed up with Bush's words - taking them as a dent upon their national pride, even if they don't support the Islamic regime itself - that they were taking part in such a rally for the first time in their lives.

"I didn't hate Bush before, but now I really hate him," exclaimed another reform-leaning young woman in a black head scarf with brown trim, who asked not to be identified. "He's damaging everything. He has hurt the reformers, and is bringing all the hard-liners together."

Gone from President Khatami's speech was past talk of creating a dialogue of civilizations. Instead, he called US leaders "immature" and people of "black hearts" - strong words for a pro-reform icon who is known for his relatively polite tone, even with political rhetoric.

"The time for bullying is over," Khatami told the crowd, standing behind a flower-festooned lectern.

"Those running the US consider themselves the master of the world, and define their own interests in contradiction to the world's," Khatami said. "And since they have power, they use force.... Today, in an immature and ridiculous way, they are playing with you and your revolution."

The US is worsening hostility "day by day," Khatami said. "[The US] has to ask: 'To what extent was the horrible incident on Sept. 11 a result of US policies?' "

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