Senior Iranian officials appeared publicly in the streets after more than a month of war. Their public appearances came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening listed “10 plagues” against Iran, including a “blow to the senior leadership,” saying “ we are systematically crushing the terrorist regime” — yet Iran's president and foreign minister were seen Tuesday at pro-regime demonstrations in Tehran.
Pezeshkian and Araghchi at a pro-regime demonstration in Tehran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was documented joining the “demonstrators” as part of celebrations marking “Islamic Republic Day.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also joined and said: “I came to be among them, to draw energy from the movement on the ground and to enjoy this unity and popular cohesion.”
The previous time the two — along with other senior Iranian officials — were seen in the streets of Tehran was about two and a half weeks ago, during “Iranian Quds Day.” Several days later, Iran’s de facto leader Ali Larijani, who had also been filmed in public then, was assassinated.
2 View gallery
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian joined public demonstrations marking Islamic Republic Day.
About a week ago, it was reported that Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had been removed from Israel and the United States’ assassination target list for several days, in order to allow negotiations between Washington and Tehran to take place in Pakistan — talks that have yet to materialize.
“What is happening now is not negotiations, but an exchange of messages, directly or through our friends in the region," Araghchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera on Tuesday. "I receive messages from Witkoff directly, as in the past, and that does not mean we are negotiating. The messages include warnings or exchanges of views conveyed through intermediaries. There is no truth to the claims regarding negotiations with any party in Iran. We have not sent any response to the United States’ 15-point proposal. Our conditions for ending the war are clear. We will not accept a ceasefire.”