Iran International
On Monday, the Iranian state marked the 46th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, set against the backdrop of controversies surrounding potential talks with the United States, mounting public discontent and a deepening economic crisis.
The event typically features state-sponsored rallies across the country, a speech by the president at Tehran’s Azadi Square, and a participants’ resolution issued by the Islamic Propaganda Coordination Council, which is read at the conclusion of events in Tehran and other cities.
High-ranking officials, such as the heads of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches, as well as military leaders, take part in these rallies.
This year, state-run television channels aired fewer aerial shots of the rallies, which in previous years had been used to showcase large crowds. The coverage appeared more restrained, reflecting the multiple international, political, and economic challenges facing Tehran.
The national currency, the rial, has been in freefall, losing over 10 percent of its value against the US dollar in four days, since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s speech on February 7, in which he strongly rejected the prospect of talks with the US.
Many Iranians fear further depreciation of the rial before the Iranian New Year (March 20), unless there is a breakthrough in negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal—abandoned by former US President Donald Trump in 2018—or to secure a new agreement. The potential reinstatement of UN sanctions in October through the snapback mechanism has only intensified these concerns.
Public protest amid state celebrations
On Sunday evening, as state-organized fireworks lit up Tehran, citizens in several neighborhoods across the east, west, and south of the capital, as well as in other major cities, chanted slogans from their windows and rooftops.
These included "Death to the Islamic Republic," "Death to Khamenei the Murderer," and "Death to the Dictator."
The chants echoed the widespread protests of 2022-2023, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Jina Amini in the custody of the so-called morality police. Those protests, carried out under the banner "Woman, Life, Freedom," were brutally suppressed by state forces.
While the state-run television channels, as always, provided extensive coverage of the anniversary marches and speeches, claiming millions of participants, photos and videos shared on social media suggested a significantly smaller turnout compared to previous years.
Pezeshkian’s speech fails to inspire
Some social media users expressed disappointment with President Masoud Pezeshkian’s speech, criticizing it for failing to address pressing public concerns. Many suggested that, had his ultra-hardline rival Saeed Jalili been elected president, his remarks might have closely resembled Pezeshkian’s.
In his address, the president reiterated allegiance to Supreme Leader Khamenei’s leadership, accusing "enemies" of attempting to create divisions among Iranians and portraying the country as weak. He also strongly criticized the US President Donald Trump and accused him of hypocrisy, claiming Trump simultaneously increased pressure on Iran while offering to negotiate and trying to "bring the Islamic Revolution down to its knees."
“Trump says, ‘Let’s negotiate,’ but signs [a document containing] all possible schemes against Iran, then claims he is ready to talk,” Pezeshkian said.
The president also criticized the US for supporting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he referred to as “a criminal indicted by international organizations,” referencing the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant issued for Netanyahu in November 2024.
Amid celebratory gatherings attended by state officials, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday: “If the US were sincere about negotiations, why did they sanction us?”
Reflecting Tehran's concerns about returning to the negotiating table with President Donald Trump who, during his first term, pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord and imposed crippling sanctions on Iran, Pezeshkian said: “He says, ‘Let’s have a dialogue,’ and at the same moment, he signs memos for all possible conspiracies against Iran.”
Further casting doubt on recent hopes for rapprochement amid a mood of mistrust, Pezeshkian accused Washington of orchestrating conspiracies against Iran while proposing talks and claimed it was Tehran's archenemy Israel, not Iran, that destabilized the Middle East.
The comments followed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s recent statement that negotiations with the US are “unwise and dishonorable.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed similar sentiments, saying, “What they mean by negotiation is surrender. Iran negotiated in good faith, but the other side failed to fulfill its commitments and withdrew from the [2015 nuclear] agreement. Why should we trust them?”
Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh also rejected talks under current conditions, saying, “We will not negotiate under sanctions and threats, and we do not recognize the new US administration.”
IRGC Aerospace Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh mocked Trump’s threats, saying, “He does not have such courage. A powerful Iran does not submit to coercion.”
Like previous years, a statement was released by the government after the ceremony stressing that as the Supreme Leader said it is not wise or honorable to hold negotiations with the US.
“The government must strengthen security and intelligence structures to prevent the infiltration of enemy agents and divisive movements within the country’s institutions,” added the statement
The document also called for a stronger military. "We expect national officials to take decisive action against those disrupting the nation’s psychological security," it continued, "who, by aligning with the enemy, attempt to distort the truth.”
As officials rallied in support of the Islamic Republic, protests erupted in Tehran and other cities on Sunday night, where citizens chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and showed anger at Supreme Leader Khamenei during state-organized fireworks displays.
The ongoing public unrest underscores the tensions within Iran as it faces mounting international and domestic challenges in the midst of its crushing economic crisis.
Javan newspaper, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), cited an unnamed advisor to former president Hassan Rouhani as saying on Sunday that "If the president does not bring the negotiations to fruition, he should give up and leave the presidential office before the winter snow falls in Tehran."
The article by Javan said that such a sentiment about the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian resonates with both supporters and critics of the government.
"This idea is gaining traction not only among government loyalists but also among its opponents," Javan said, noting that some newly emerged “suspicious” political factions, particularly those that surfaced after the recent elections, appear to be maneuvering to render Pezeshkian ineffective—blocking negotiations and steering him toward a scenario where he either resigns voluntarily or faces a turbulent path toward impeachment in parliament.
"This push for the president's removal is like the two blades of a scissor, cutting deeper into the political landscape and driving the country toward a major crisis before the year’s end."
Javan claimed that, according to enemy intelligence services, growing public discontent fueled by government inefficiency, rising poverty, and inequality could trigger protests in Iran, potentially leading to unrest similar to the events of November 2019.
In 2019, a wave of nationwide protests in Iran, known as Bloody November, erupted following a fuel price hike. What began as economic grievances quickly escalated into demands for the overthrow of the government and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to various sources, security forces killed at least 1,500 protesters between November 15 and 17.
The Pezeshkian administration is caught between opposing pressures. While urged to ease US sanctions, it faces a firm ban on talks with Washington imposed by the Supreme Leader on Friday.
Since Khamenei’s rejection, Iran’s currency, the rial, has been in freefall, hitting a record low of 915,000 per US dollar on Sunday.
“Negotiating with such a government should not be done; it is neither wise, intelligent nor honorable,” said the 85-year-old cleric during a meeting with air force personnel in Tehran.“No problem will be solved through negotiations with the United States,” he added.
Also on Sunday, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council and a close aide to Khamenei, said, “Those who support negotiations with Trump should clarify what they are willing to offer in a deal to persuade him to lift the sanctions.”
He added, “Mr. Khamenei presents arguments for his stance; those in favor of negotiating with Trump should also provide their reasoning.”
Sociologist Taghi Azad Armaki, in an interview with Etemad newspaper, also warned of potential protests, citing "high prices, the rising dollar rate, high rents, health problems, emigration, and absolute poverty" as key pressures on the population.
"These issues remain unresolved," he warned, "and if not addressed, will soon manifest as widespread protests." He criticized “extremist groups” opposed to negotiations for undermining the administration, stating that they must be controlled and act in the interests of the ruling establishment.
Referring to hardliners, Armaki added, "If extremism is not curbed in the current situation, it will continue to take the form of a widespread wave and will harm the entire system. Social crises should not be allowed to turn into security crises."
Prominent commentator Ahmad Zeidabadi also criticized Friday prayer leaders, accusing them of delivering contradictory and confusing messages.
During Friday prayers, chants opposing negotiations with the US and their supporters—including Vice President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif—echoed as Khamenei's representatives, the Friday prayer imams, denounced the idea.
Zeidabadi also condemned the attempts of hardliners who say there is no need for talks with the US because it would not solve Iran's financial crisis. "They routinely blame America for all of the country's cultural, social, and political problems," Zeidabadi wrote, "even though the US neither claims nor has the ability to create them. Yet, when it comes to economic issues, they attribute nearly all problems to internal mismanagement while dismissing the impact of America's extensive sanctions. The contradictions have become deafening."