Overview
- President Masoud Pezeshkian said a strike targeted the head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Policy and killed his wife, which he called an assassination attempt.
- He contrasted U.S. calls for dialogue with the attack and asked the public to judge who pursues talks and who uses terror.
- Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have entered large crowds for selfies and speeches to project control and, as one rights advocate argued, to gain safety in numbers.
- Talks to end the war have stalled after Tehran called U.S. proposals unrealistic, and both sides now warn of escalation.
- Rights groups say arrests, executions, and a heavy security presence have curbed protests, leaving many people fearful of going out after dark.