Iran’s Supreme Leader Pezeshkian and Araghchi “smiled, socialized, and took selfies” World News
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with senior officials in the capital Tehran, made a rare public appearance on Tuesday to attend a pro-regime rally in the city to mark Islamic Republic Day.“The officials were seen casually mingling with attendees, taking selfies and walking through crowds without apparent security amid rising tensions in the Middle East and ongoing threats against Iran’s senior leaders.
“I came among them to draw energy from the local movement and enjoy this unity and the cohesion of the people,” Araghchi told reporters. Videos of their participation quickly circulated on social media, according to Ynet News. Pezeshkian and Araghchi were last seen in public on Iran’s Quds Day, along with former security chief Ali Larijani, who was killed in a U.S.-Israeli attack days later.Their emergence comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly listed the “top ten plagues” against Iran, including attacks on the country’s senior leadership, and claimed Israel was “systematically suppressing the terror regime.”In his speech to the European Council, Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s willingness to end the ongoing conflict as long as “basic conditions are met, especially the guarantees needed to prevent the recurrence of aggression.” The statements reflect Tehran’s counter-proposal to the US’s 15-point plan, calling for the establishment of mechanisms to prevent a resumption of hostilities between Israel and the United States.Araghchi confirmed ongoing communications with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff but denied they were in talks. “What is happening now is not a negotiation but an exchange of information, either directly or through our friends in the region,” he told Al Jazeera. “We have not yet made any response to the 15-point proposal of the United States. Our conditions for ending the war are clear. We will not accept a ceasefire.”Reports indicate that Araghchi and Knesset Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were temporarily removed from U.S. and Israeli hit lists about a week ago to allow for potential talks, but they have not yet taken place. Iranian leaders stressed that they are ready to defend the country under any circumstances.
