Protesters in Iran denounce U.S. deal and top negotiators

Reports from Iran on Saturday said protests broke out at several locations against the agreement with the United States. Demonstrators targeted senior Iranian officials linked to the talks, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

In one gathering in Tehran, protesters shouted, "Shame on Araghchi" and, "Ghalibaf, Araghchi, what about the blood of my leader?" The chant referred to the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the opening strike of Operation "Rising Lion." Video from Iran showed crowds waving Iranian flags and chanting against the officials involved in the negotiations, including outside the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Tehran.

The protests came amid earlier U.S. media reports that a vocal fringe group inside the Islamic Republic leadership had tried to block a deal through rallies, public statements, and back-channel contacts. That camp, according to those reports, was backed by parliament members and figures in the Supreme National Security Council.

The New York Times reported two weeks ago that during the talks, Ali Bagheri Kani, a hard-line figure who serves as deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, wrote a letter to Mojtaba Khamenei. According to the report, he said the Iranian negotiating team led by Ghalibaf had been too conciliatory toward the Americans when it met U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance in Islamabad, and asked the Supreme Leader to step in and set red lines for the negotiations.