Overview
- State television showcased large pro-government gatherings featuring anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans, flag burnings, missile displays, and debris presented as downed Israeli drones.
- Verified videos captured balcony chants of “death to Khamenei” and “death to the dictator,” while authorities widened arrests of reformist figures in the days leading up to the events.
- President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized for the harm from the crackdown, reiterated that Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons, and said the country is ready for any verification.
- The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group remained in regional waters as President Trump said he is considering sending a second carrier, with Iranian envoy Ali Larijani shuttling between Oman and Qatar for indirect nuclear talks.
- Casualty figures from the January crackdown remain contested, with Iran citing 3,117 dead, the HRANA group confirming about 7,000, and a UN expert indicating far higher numbers, as the IAEA has lacked full access for months.