Iran's top officials, including the president and foreign minister, have been publicly mingling with crowds in central Tehran as a deliberate show of control amid a campaign of targeted strikes. State television broadcast their appearances as part of an effort to project resilience and shore up core support while talks to end the fighting have stalled. Analysts say the outings aim to sustain morale among loyalists and raise the political cost of further attacks, while rights groups warn that wartime crackdowns and executions are silencing potential dissent.
Iran Leaders Walk Among Tehran Crowds To Project Control Amid Wartime Strikes
Iranians gather at a park on Nature Day, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
DUBAI, April 3 (Reuters) - Iran's senior leadership has begun appearing openly in Tehran's public squares in a deliberate bid to demonstrate they remain in control amid weeks of targeted strikes and escalating hostilities. State television in recent days aired footage of President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi separately mingling with crowds of several hundred, posing for selfies, speaking with citizens and shaking supporters' hands.
Officials and analysts say the public outings form part of a calculated effort by the theocratic establishment to project resilience and authority — both domestically and over strategic interests such as the Strait of Hormuz — as mediation talks to end the fighting have stalled.
Leadership Appearances And Their Purpose
Insiders close to Iran's hardline establishment told Reuters the appearances are intended to signal that the Islamic Republic is "unshaken by strikes and that it remains in control and vigilant" as the conflict grinds on. A senior Iranian source said officials' visibility demonstrates the leadership is "not intimidated by Israel's targeted killing of top Iranian figures," according to the report.
"By being in the middle of large crowds they have protections that would make Israeli-American attacks against them very bloody and generate sympathy worldwide," said Hadi Ghaemi, head of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran.
Background And Diplomatic Context
The Reuters article reports that the campaign of strikes began on February 28 and has targeted senior Iranian officials. It also states that Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly succeeded his father as Supreme Leader on March 8 and had not been seen publicly since the succession.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 11, 2026. Iran's Presidential website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Diplomatic efforts, including mediation reportedly involving Pakistan, briefly led to Foreign Minister Araqchi being removed from an alleged Israeli hit list as negotiators explored talks with Washington. However, those discussions have largely stalled, with Tehran dismissing U.S. peace proposals as "unrealistic," the article says.
Public Response And Human Costs
State-encouraged nightly rallies have filled public squares with supporters waving loyalty to the Islamic Republic, even as analysts warn that civilian casualties and wartime destruction are deeply unsettling for many Iranians. Omid Memarian, a senior Iran analyst at Washington-based DAWN, told Reuters that sending senior figures into public gatherings is part of a layered strategy to sustain the morale of the regime's core supporters.
Rights groups cited in the report have raised alarms over harsh wartime measures, including arrests and executions; Reuters says at least seven political prisoners were hanged since the conflict began. Critics argue the leadership is using crowds as a form of protection that also raises the potential political cost of further targeted strikes.
Security And Dissent
Despite the government's efforts to display public support, the article notes that decades of repression and mismanagement have eroded popular backing for the Islamic Republic. It reports that many potential protesters now avoid public spaces at night because of a heightened security presence and the threat of violent reprisals.
Note on Reporting: This version preserves the facts and quotes as reported by Reuters while using cautious language where the original piece included contested or extraordinary claims.
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