Smiling in the Streets: Why Iran's President and FM Walked Into Crowds After Netanyahu Threatened to Kill Them

What Happened

On Tuesday, April 1 — marking the 47th anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Republic — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi walked into crowds in Tehran for a public rally. Videos circulated widely on social media showing them mingling, taking selfies, and moving through the crowd with no visible security detail.

It was their first documented public appearance since the outbreak of the US-Israel war against Iran on February 28, 2026. The timing was not coincidental: it came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly enumerated what he called "ten plagues" his forces had delivered to Iran's "axis of evil," explicitly including a forthcoming "blow to the senior leadership."

Foreign Minister Araghchi addressed reporters at the event: "I came to be among them, to draw energy from the movement on the ground and to enjoy this unity and popular cohesion."

Why the Timing Is Significant

The last time Pezeshkian and Araghchi appeared publicly together was on "Iranian Quds Day" — alongside then-security chief Ali Larijani. Larijani was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike days after that appearance.

Since the war began, Iran's senior leadership has operated largely out of public view. The killing of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28 — the opening strike of Operation Epic Fury — established that the US and Israel were prepared to target Iran's highest officials. Subsequent strikes have killed multiple senior figures, including intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib.

On Tuesday evening, Netanyahu gave a nationally televised address in Israel in which he framed the war as analogous to the biblical Passover story — listing ten distinct military accomplishments as "plagues" delivered to his enemies. His list included the degradation of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Assad's fall in Syria, Houthi strikes in Yemen, and five additional blows against Iran itself. Among those five, he specifically included a "blow to the senior leadership."

Pezeshkian and Araghchi's street appearance, without visible security and in open crowds, came within hours of that speech. Israeli and US intelligence agencies are known to track the physical movements of Iranian senior officials for targeting purposes. The optics — and the risk calculation — were clearly deliberate.

Iran's Ceasefire Position

The public appearance was paired with a substantive diplomatic signal. Speaking by phone with European Council President António Costa earlier Tuesday, Pezeshkian stated Iran's conditions for ending the war:

"We possess the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met, especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression," Pezeshkian said, according to a statement from his office reported by AFP.

In a parallel address, he accused the United States of undermining diplomacy, claiming Iran had been struck twice while negotiations were underway — a charge the White House disputes. He also attributed the Hormuz crisis to "American-Zionist hostile actions."

Araghchi told Al Jazeera that while communications with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff were ongoing, they did not constitute negotiations. "What is happening now is not negotiations, but an exchange of messages, directly or through our friends in the region," he said. "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."

European Council President Costa, following the call with Pezeshkian, posted on X: "To de-escalate the situation, I urged Iran to stop the unacceptable attacks on countries in the region and to engage positively on the diplomatic track, notably with the UN to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

The Assassination List: What Is Known

According to reporting from Ynet News citing Israeli sources, Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were temporarily removed from US and Israeli targeting lists approximately one week ago to create space for potential diplomatic communications. Their removal was described as conditional and not permanent.

Pezeshkian's status on any such list has not been publicly confirmed or denied by either the US or Israeli governments. As president, he is a senior official but has a more limited role in war-related decisions than the Supreme Leader position now held by Mojtaba Khamenei or the IRGC command structure.

The US and Israel have not publicly commented on Tuesday's appearance by either official.

Netanyahu's "10 Plagues" Speech: What He Actually Said

In his Tuesday address, Netanyahu framed the war as a continuation of Israel's fight against what he called the "axis of evil," listing the following as accomplished "plagues":

• The destruction of Hamas's governing capacity in Gaza
• The degradation of Hezbollah in Lebanon
• The fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria
• Strikes on terrorist organizations in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)
• Strikes on Houthi forces in Yemen
• Five additional blows against Iran itself, including strikes on its missile program, air defense systems, energy infrastructure, IRGC command structure, and — he stated — a coming "blow to the senior leadership"

Netanyahu said Israel was "systematically crushing the terrorist regime" and declared that "the regime will fall." He did not specify a timeline.

Israeli officials have not clarified whether "blow to the senior leadership" refers to further targeted killings already carried out or to operations still in planning. The Israeli government and IDF do not publicly confirm targeting decisions in advance.

The Diplomatic Track: Where Things Stand

The US and Iran remain engaged in what both sides describe differently. The White House describes active, improving negotiations. Iran describes an exchange of messages through intermediaries — primarily Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, Oman, and Egypt — with no formal negotiations underway.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that talks to end the war are "very real" and "gaining strength," while simultaneously warning that the "coming days will be decisive" and refusing to rule out ground troop deployments. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said public Iranian statements are "much different than what's being communicated to us privately."

Iran has not formally responded to the US's 15-point ceasefire proposal, delivered through Pakistan. Iran's own counterproposal — issued on March 26 — demanded five conditions including war reparations, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and binding guarantees against future attacks. The US has not publicly accepted any of these conditions.

Trump told reporters on Tuesday he expects the war to end in "two or three weeks," with or without a deal. He is scheduled to address the nation Wednesday at 9 PM ET.

Context: The Precedent of Larijani

Former security chief Ali Larijani was one of Iran's most recognizable faces. He was seen publicly on Iranian Quds Day. Days later, he was killed in a confirmed US-Israeli strike. His death was one of several senior-figure assassinations that have reshaped the Iranian government's behavior since February 28.

Since then, Iran's leadership has largely avoided visible public appearances. The decision by Pezeshkian and Araghchi to appear openly in Tehran crowds — without visible protection, in a densely populated setting — was broadly interpreted as a deliberate counter-signal to Netanyahu's speech: a demonstration that targeted assassinations would not drive Iran's leadership into hiding.

Whether the appearance was also a practical security calculation — that being in dense civilian crowds near international cameras provides a form of protection — was not addressed publicly by Iranian officials.