Iran leaders join crowds on Tehran's streets to project control in wartime
88/100
Verdict
High Trust
Highly Credible
This Reuters report (byline Parisa Hafezi, dateline Dubai, 3 April 2026) describes Iranian leaders appearing among crowds in Tehran to project resilience during the 2026 US–Israeli war on Iran.
✓ 12 checks out
✕ 0 disputed
? 4 unverified
Full analysis The complete summary ⌄
This Reuters report (byline Parisa Hafezi, dateline Dubai, 3 April 2026) describes Iranian leaders appearing among crowds in Tehran to project resilience during the 2026 US–Israeli war on Iran. Independent, dated sources corroborate the core factual scaffolding: the war beginning 28 February 2026, the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the succession of his son Mojtaba Khamenei via the Assembly of Experts, the incumbency of President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, wartime executions of political prisoners, and the January 2026 protests and crackdown. The named experts (Omid Memarian of DAWN; Hadi Ghaemi of the Center for Human Rights in Iran) and the IDF spokesperson (Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani) are all correctly identified. The article is properly framed with attribution and analyst sourcing, and its interpretive claims (motives of appearances, 'human shields') are appropriately hedged as analysis. Minor limitations: several human-source claims are anonymous and inherently unverifiable, and the specific 'at least seven' execution figure is a point-in-time count that other rights groups later revised upward.
What checked out (12)
- A US–Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February 2026 (corroborated by Wikipedia '2026 Iran war', UK House of Commons Library, Britannica).
- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated on 28 February 2026 in Israeli airstrikes; death confirmed by Iran on 1 March 2026.
- Iran's Assembly of Experts elected Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader, announced around 8–9 March 2026 (article says 8 March).
- Masoud Pezeshkian is the President of Iran.
- Abbas Araghchi (Araqchi) is Iran's Foreign Minister.
- Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani is the IDF's international spokesperson.
- Omid Memarian is Senior Iran Analyst at DAWN, a Washington-based organisation.
- Hadi Ghaemi is Executive Director/head of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran.
- Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026.
- Anti-government protests erupted in January 2026 and were met with a deadly crackdown.
- Iran executed political prisoners during the war; rights groups flagged rushed wartime executions (Euronews cited seven executed who were arrested in January protests; CHRI later reported at least 22 in six weeks).
- Reuters published this specific report (Pezeshkian and Araghchi joining Tehran crowds), also picked up by Times of Israel and others dated 1–3 April 2026.
Unverified claims 4 claims ⌄
- Statements attributed to an anonymous 'insider close to the hardline establishment' and a 'senior Iranian source' that public outings show the Republic is 'unshaken' and 'in control' — inherently unverifiable anonymous sourcing.
- That Foreign Minister Araghchi was specifically 'removed' from an Israeli hit list amid mediation (including by Pakistan) — plausible and consistent with reporting on Islamabad talks, but not independently confirmed in the searches conducted.
- That new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei 'has not been seen in public' since taking over — consistent with CNN live-updates noting he had yet to appear publicly, but continued absence as of the article date is not independently confirmable.
- The precise characterisation that supporters gather 'each night' in squares nationwide and that specific officials posed for selfies on 'Tuesday' — event-level details reported by Reuters but not separately corroborated in detail.
Sources & how we checked Search journal, source grades, confidence ⌄
Confidence
High — All high-priority factual claims were confirmed against multiple dated, reputable sources (encyclopaedic references, a national parliamentary research library, Tier-1 broadcasters/broadsheets, and specialist NGOs), and the specific news event was independently reproduced by other outlets on matching dates. Confidence is held at High rather than Very High because a portion of the article relies on unverifiable anonymous sourcing and event-level micro-details, and because several roles/statuses (e.g., new Supreme Leader visibility, hit-list status) are fast-changing.
Search journal
Iran Twelve-Day War 2025 ceasefire June 24
Ali Khamenei assassinated killed news
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Ali_Khamenei
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/07/04/tehran-huge-throngs-mourn-assassinated-supreme-leader-ali-khamenei/
- https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/06/world/live-news/iran-khamenei-funeral-war-trump
Iran US Israel war April 2026
- https://www.britannica.com/event/2026-Iran-war
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
- https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10521/
Mojtaba Khamenei Supreme Leader Assembly of Experts elected March 2026
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iranian_supreme_leader_election
- https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603030390
- https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/mojtaba-khamenei
Masoud Pezeshkian president Iran 2025
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masoud_Pezeshkian
- https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/12/middleeast/irans-accidental-president-masoud-pezeshkian-intl
Abbas Araghchi Iran foreign minister 2025
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abbas-Araghchi
- https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/iran/news/article/iran-minister-s-meeting-with-mr-abbas-ara...
Nadav Shoshani IDF spokesman
- https://www.npr.org/2026/03/02/nx-s1-5732614/idf-spokesperson-gives-an-israeli-perspective-on-the-campaign-in-iran
- https://www.fidf.org/fidf-live-briefing-international-spokesperson-idf-ltc-nadav-shoshani/
Omid Memarian DAWN Iran analyst
Hadi Ghaemi Center for Human Rights in Iran director
- https://iranhumanrights.org/bio-hadi-ghaemi/
- https://iranhumanrights.org/who_we_are/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Human_Rights_in_Iran
Iran executions political prisoners during 2026 war rights groups
- https://www.npr.org/2026/05/06/nx-s1-5804464/iran-steps-up-executions-of-prisoners-under-cover-of-war
- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/05/iran-mass-arbitrary-arrests-and-political-executions-mark-in...
- https://iranhumanrights.org/2026/04/irans-execution-machine-political-hangings-surge-as-dozens-face-imminent-death/
Iran seven political prisoners hanged during war 2026 rushed executions
Iran block Strait of Hormuz 2026 war
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
- https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10636/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_naval_blockade_of_Iran
Iran officials selfies crowds Tehran resilience April 2026 Pezeshkian
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-leaders-join-crowds-on-tehrans-streets-in-show-of-defiance/
- https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/pezeshkian-araghchi-join-tehran-crowds-as-war-goes-on/
Iran protests January 2026 crackdown anti-government
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%932026_Iranian_protests
- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2026/01/what-happened-at-the-protests-in-iran/
- https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10462/
Article metrics
The article we checked Full text as retrieved ⌄
Item 1 of 2 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
**[1/2]**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 [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab](
* Summary
* Authorities say rallies show resolve and unity amid war
* Senior officials join gatherings despite targeted killings
* Aim is to show the system remains in control, analysts say
* Rights groups say potential anti-government protesters stay off streets
DUBAI, April 3 (Reuters) - After more than a month of being stalked by targeted assassinations, Iran's leadership has adopted a new tactic to show it is still in control - with senior officials walking openly in the streets among small crowds who have gathered in support of the Islamic Republic.
In recent days, Iran's president and foreign minister have separately mixed with groups of several hundred people in central Tehran. On Tuesday, state television aired footage of the two posing for selfies, talking to members of the public and shaking hands with supporters who had gathered in public areas.
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According to insiders and analysts, the appearances are part of a calculated effort by Iran's theocratic leadership to project resilience and authority — not only over the vital [Strait of Hormuz]( but also over the population — despite a sustained U.S.-Israeli campaign aimed at "obliterating" it.
One insider close to the hardline establishment said such public outings are intended to show that the Islamic Republic is "unshaken by strikes and that it remains in control and vigilant" as [the war grinds on](
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28 with the killing of veteran Supreme Leader Ayatollah [Ali Khamenei]( and several senior military commanders in waves of strikes that have since continued to target [top officials](
Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has [not been seen in public]( since taking over on March 8 from his father. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, meanwhile, was [removed]( from Israel's hit list amid mediation efforts last month, including by Pakistan, to bring Tehran and Washington together for talks to end the war.
Talks aimed at ending the war have since appeared to have petered out, as Tehran brands U.S. peace proposals "unrealistic". Against that backdrop, recent public appearances by President Masoud Pezeshkian and Araqchi appear designed to project defiance, if not a convincing display of public support.
A senior Iranian source said officials' public presence demonstrates that "the establishment is not intimidated by Israel's targeted killing of top Iranian figures".
Asked whether Iran's foreign minister or president were on any sort of kill list, an Israeli military spokesperson, Nadav Shoshani, said on Friday he would not "speak about specific personnel."
## NIGHTLY RALLIES TO SHOW RESILIENCE
Despite widespread destruction, Tehran appears emboldened by surviving weeks of intense U.S.-Israeli attacks, firing on Gulf countries hosting U.S. troops and demonstrating its ability to effectively block the Strait of Hormuz.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran, without [offering a timeline]( for ending hostilities. Tehran responded by warning the United States and Israel that "more crushing, broader and more destructive" attacks were in store.
Encouraged by clerical rulers, supporters of the Islamic Republic take to the streets each night, filling public squares to show loyalty even as bombs rain down across the country.
Analysts say the establishment is also seeking to raise the "political and reputational" cost of the strikes at a time when civilian casualties are deeply disturbing for Iranians.
Omid Memarian, a senior Iran analyst at DAWN, a Washington-based think tank, said the decision to send officials into gatherings reflects a layered strategy, including an effort to sustain the morale of core supporters at a moment of acute pressure.
"The system relies heavily on this base; if its supporters withdraw from public space, its ability to project control and authority weakens significantly," Memarian said.
Speaking to state television, some in the crowds voice unwavering loyalty to Iran's leadership; others oppose the bombing of their country regardless of politics; and some have a stake in the system, including government employees, students and others whose livelihoods are tied to it.
Hadi Ghaemi, head of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, said the establishment is using such loyal crowds as human shields to raise the cost of any assassination attempts.
"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," he said.
## POTENTIAL PROTESTERS STAY OFF STREETS AT NIGHT
The Islamic Republic emerged from a 1979 revolution backed by millions of Iranians. But decades of rule marked by corruption, repression and mismanagement have thinned that support, alienating many ordinary people.
While there has been little sign so far of anti-government protests that erupted in January and abated after a deadly crackdown, the establishment has adopted harsh measures - such as arrests, executions and large-scale deployment of security forces - to prevent any sparks of dissent.
Rights groups have warned about "rushed executions" during wartime after Iran hanged at least seven political prisoners during the war.
"Many potential protesters are frightened by the continuing presence of armed men and violent crowds in the streets and largely stay at home once darkness falls," Ghaemi said.
Writing by Parisa Hafezi Editing by Ros Russell
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