Following Donald Trump's inauguration, conservative and ultraconservative Iranian dailies notably refrained from covering the future of US-Iran relations, while reformist newspapers were actively considering various strategies to engage with Washington.
Despite the silence on future ties with the US, conservative outlets prominently featured the event, with headlines dominating the dailies.
Some hardliners, such as Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi acknowledged that Trump’s presidency is likely to have profound implications for the future of the Islamic Republic.
Iran Daily, a known conduit for the Pezeshkian administration, emphasized in its detailed coverage there is still an opportunity for opening negotiations with Washington.
"Trump may choose a different policy regarding Iran, as the maximum pressure strategy failed under Biden," one of its reports read.
It omitted mention of critics' claims that US sanctions were not fully enforced during Joe Biden's presidency, which allowed Iran to boost oil exports to China and generate over $100 billion in revenue between 2021 and 2024.
In the reformist camp, both Etemad and centrist Kargozaran newspapers expressed caution about the changes in the US administration.
"The Trump administration's hardline stance on immigration is likely to create additional challenges for Iranians living in the United States," a report for Etemad noted, adding, "The new US administration will likely demand that Iran cease uranium enrichment and scale back its regional activities."
Kargozaran wrote that many attendees at the inauguration parties were "radical right-wing elements," noting that, "The entire world is watching Trump’s return with fear and concern."
Tehran's leading economic daily, Donyaye Eghtesad, presented three potential strategies for Iran in its dealings with the Trump administration: first, military confrontation, which would result in significant losses for Iran; second, rejecting negotiations, which would likely lead to maximum pressure and worsening economic hardship; and third, engaging in negotiations and direct cooperation, offering the possibility of tangible benefits for Iran.
One of the most hardline anti-US dailies, Kayhan, which had previously called for Pezeshkian to "try to kill Trump," remained silent on Tuesday.
It did, however, criticize the "tight security measures" at the inauguration ceremony.
Affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Javan newspaper refrained from commenting on the potential implications of the change in US leadership for Iran and instead provided a summary of Donald Trump's first term in office.
Another conservative daily, Jam-e Jam, criticized "Trump's unilateralism" and his views about Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal.
Jomhouri Eslami, a conservative newspaper founded in 1979 by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was the only conservative outlet to suggest that "Iran should take a lesson from the past and change its behavior and the way it interacts with the world."
While the publication offered this perspective, Kayhan, rather than Jomhouri Eslami, more frequently reflects Khamenei's views.
When it came to online outlets, reformist site Rouydad24 noted that nearly all segments of Iranian politics—ranging from government officials to hardliners, and even radical figures—are signaling openness to negotiations with the United States. Rouydad24 highlighted former ultraconservative lawmaker Javad Karimi Qoddousi, a staunch anti-US politician, as one of the radicals who appears to have shifted his stance on negotiations.
"Mr. Khamenei said many years ago that cutting off ties with America should not continue forever," the article quoted him as saying.
Conservative Nameh News also quoted hardliner Hossein Naqavi-Hosseini, who said, "Our problems will not be solved if we ignore the United States." Naqavi-Hosseini suggested that continued tensions with the US are likely to lead to even greater economic challenges for Iran. He added, "Iran's President and other officials have a plan for negotiations with America."
Nameh News also noted that former conservative MP Ali Motahhari said this week that "Iran should start negotiations with Washington and even be prepared to resume relations with America."
Tehran-based websites reported that reformist commentator Ahmad Zeidabadi addressed Pezeshkian in an article on his Telegram channel, urging immediate negotiations.
"Mr. Pezeshkian! What are you waiting for? The solution for lifting the sanctions is clear," he wrote. Zeidabadi also took a sarcastic jab, recalling Pezeshkian's suggestion during his recent visit to Russia that Iran, Russia, and China should join forces to sanction the United States.
Social media images showed closed shops in cities such as Sanandaj, Saqqez, Divandarreh, and Marivan in Kurdistan province, as well as Mahabad, Bukan in West Azarbaijan province, and Kermanshah.
Earlier this week, six Kurdish groups released a joint statement urging people to stage a strike on Wednesday to prevent the executions of Pakhshan Azizi and Varishe Moradi by shutting down marketplaces, workplaces, and schools.
Moradi was sentenced to death in November by Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of "armed rebellion." Azizi received the same sentence in July.
Both sentences have sparked outrage locally and internationally. Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also joined the protest calls, writing on Instagram, “I urge all political, social, cultural, civil, and professional organizations to join this strike.”
Among the parties supporting the strike were the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, also known as the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, and the Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran.
Azizi was sentence to death in July 2024 for “armed rebellion against the state” and imposed an additional four-year prison sentence for alleged membership in the PJAK, accusations her lawyers have denied. PJAK has been designated as a terrorist organization by Iran, Turkey, and the US.
In addition to these groups, students and a coalition of Kurdish women issued separate statements condemning the death sentences. They also expressed support for the strike, denouncing the treatment of Azizi and Moradi, who are detained in Tehran’s Evin Prison, notorious for its harsh conditions and political detentions.
Earlier this month, Amnesty International has condemned Iran’s Supreme Court for upholding Azizi’s death sentence, calling her trial deeply flawed and her punishment unjust. Amnesty said, “Iran’s authorities must halt any plans to carry out her execution and release her immediately,” adding that her conviction appears to be tied to her peaceful humanitarian and human rights work.
In a letter from prison, Azizi has described instances of torture and harassment, including mock executions. Her case has become a focal point for human rights organizations, with many viewing her sentencing as part of a broader pattern of state repression against political dissidents.
According to the US-based rights group HRANA, at least 54 political prisoners, including Azizi, are currently facing execution across various prisons in Iran. Iran has faced increasing international criticism for its widespread use of the death penalty, especially against political prisoners and activists.
The United Nations human rights office reported in January that Iran in 2024 executed 901 people, including 31 women, marking a sharp rise in capital punishment cases.