Rare Tehran protests target Iran's negotiators over U.S. deal talks

Rare protests broke out overnight, between Saturday and Sunday, in Tehran, where hardline demonstrators directed angry chants at senior Iranian officials leading talks with the United States. According to Iranian media reports, they urged the government not to sign any understanding with Washington.

The main targets were Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, whom hardliners accuse of being willing to compromise with the West. Protesters shouted, “Shame on Araghchi,” and, “Ghalibaf, Araghchi, what about my leader’s blood?” as a denunciation of what they see as betrayal of the regime’s legacy and its leaders.

The demonstrators also accused the Iranian negotiating team of acting without explicit approval from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. They said his silence on the talks was proof that he had not given his blessing, and charged that the team was acting independently. The protests reflect growing internal tension in Iran over the emerging deal with the United States.

Some elements within the system view the agreement as a chance for economic relief and sanctions removal, while the hardline camp fears it amounts to surrender to the West. The unrest came as U.S. President Donald Trump said a framework agreement with Iran was expected to be signed today, although conflicting American and Iranian statements have raised doubts about the real state of the negotiations. Pakistan’s foreign ministry said a signing ceremony would take place online, but Tehran denied any plan to send a delegation to Geneva.