Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi faced opposition from those against negotiations with the United States during the funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei this week.
Pezeshkian was reportedly jostled by a crowd of critics shouting "Death to the appeaser" as he attended a procession on Monday. Social media videos showed security personnel escorting the president away from the agitated crowd. On the same day, Araghchi was allegedly struck by a rock while being pursued down an alley during the funeral events.
Regime officials and supporters have called for the arrest and accountability of those involved in the confrontations. Burial rites for Khamenei began on July 3 and are scheduled to conclude on Thursday with his burial in Mashhad.
The funeral ceremonies have drawn large crowds, with public events held across Iran and Iraq. The final stage of the funeral was reportedly delayed by several hours following large gatherings in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday.
These events occur as the U.S. military has conducted strikes against approximately 90 military targets in Iran. These strikes, which began on Wednesday, are a response to Tehran's ongoing attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command stated that the strikes aim to degrade Iran's capacity to target shipping in the critical waterway.
Hours before the U.S. strikes, President Donald Trump characterized negotiations with Iranian leaders as "a waste of time," calling them "liars," "scum," and "sick people," and stating, "If they had a nuclear weapon, they'd use it."