Iranian hardliners on Saturday protested against an impending deal with the United States, calling Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi an 'intruder' and accused him of compromising with Washington, said reports.
Protests took place in Tehran and outside a foreign ministry office in Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad.
"Death to Araghchi, the dishonourable compromiser," "Araghchi, have shame, stop giving in," and "Death to dishonourable Araghchi, the infiltrator" were among the anti-foreign ministry slogans chanted by protesters in videos released by the news agency Fars, reported AFP.
???????????? Footage reportedly shows demonstrators on the streets of Iran turning on their own negotiators, chanting for revenge and demanding the talks be scrapped.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 13, 2026
One chant is aimed straight at the foreign minister:
"Araghchi, have some shame, put the negotiations aside."… pic.twitter.com/GXOtPIg1ug
BREAKING: Hardline demonstrators across Iran are rejecting government calls for unity over the pending U.S. agreement. Protesters gather outside MFA offices, declaring that national cohesion remains dependent on strictly enforcing the Supreme Leader's absolute sovereignty metrics… pic.twitter.com/waCfem2iq8
— X-K (@ConflictRadarME) June 14, 2026
Hardline leaders argue that the proposed pact might reduce Tehran's influence over the Strait of Hormuz, and the backlash coincides with growing domestic differences over Iran's foreign and nuclear policy.
In a television broadcast, Foreign Minister Araghchi described the Strait of Hormuz as one of Iran's "main instruments of deterrence" and stated that the impending agreement would result in the lifting of the US naval embargo on Iranian ports.
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The demonstrators warned that the reported provisions involved greater compromises than officials had acknowledged, attacking both the draft agreement and Araghchi's public rhetoric surrounding it. Additionally, they stated that without the consent of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, no agreement with Washington would be enforceable.
The pushback follows months of pressure from Iran's hardline faction to adopt a more aggressive nuclear stance. Iranian hardliners have long threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and calls for Tehran to directly pursue a nuclear weapon have been heard more frequently in official media, according to reports earlier this year.
Earlier this year, an article from the Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim News Agency argued that Iran should leave the NPT as soon as feasible while still pursuing a civilian nuclear program. State media further cited hardline leader Mohammad Javad Larijani as suggesting Iran needs to suspend its membership.
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Hardline resistance is also a reflection of Iran's larger political conflicts over nuclear policy, including a resurgence of discussion in some quarters over the nation's obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
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