The directive, carried by the state-run ISNA news agency, described participants as Iran’s “summoned people” and said the gatherings had expanded with the supreme leader’s approval and guidance.
It said government supporters remained in mourning and were seeking revenge for those killed in the war, particularly former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and should therefore remain in public squares until further notice.
The nightly gatherings began after Ali Khamenei’s death was announced at the start of the war in late February. Government institutions sustained them through speeches, religious ceremonies, patriotic performances and food distribution, while state media portrayed them as evidence of national unity and support for the Islamic Republic.
The phrase “summoned people” echoes remarks Ali Khamenei made before the war, when he said God would mobilize the public during a national crisis and that “the people would finish the job.”
The rallies later became a means of political pressure, with participants chanting against officials involved in negotiations with Washington. Some accused negotiators of betraying those killed in the war and called for talks with the United States to be halted.
Ali Khomeini, a grandson of Islamic Republic founder Ruhollah Khomeini, reinforced that position on Friday, saying negotiations with the United States should not be viewed as a path to peace.
“Negotiation means war; war has different forms,” he said, adding that anyone seeking peace with Washington was a traitor.
The gatherings have also highlighted the government’s shifting approach to women without the mandatory hijab. While some clerics criticized their presence, other officials welcomed them as part of a broader pro-government front.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since the war began, including after his father’s death, the announcement of his succession and Ali Khamenei’s burial. His positions have so far been conveyed only through written statements.
