Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian was heckled during a visit to oil-rich yet underprivileged Khuzestan Province on Thursday, as residents voiced frustration over rising unemployment and other economic concerns.
A local state TV reporter disrupted the President's speech on Thursday by shouting questions about dire conditions in Khuzestan, according to Rouydad24, a relatively independent news outlet. A crowd quickly joined in, chanting slogans highlighting financial hardships and the province's persistent water and power issues.
Pezeshkian attempted to calm the crowd. "I have come here to listen to you, but you do not allow me to speak."
While he claimed to be ready to hear their concerns, he insisted on continuing his speech. Critics in the media later commented that his remarks sounded more like those of an opposition figure than a responsible state official.
Later in the day, Pezeshkian and one of his vice presidents posed for photos dressed as construction workers while laying bricks for the construction of a school in Khuzestan.
Sazandegi, a pro-government publication praised Pezeshkian’s brick-laying gesture as "beautiful." But independent reporter Azadeh Mokhtari remarked on social media: "To prove this wasn’t just a show, the president and his aide should have completed the building!"
"The exchange rate for every US dollar has soared to 838,000 rials, and the president is busy shoveling dirt and cement," one user on X quipped.
Another anonymous user, a cleric, commented, "If the previous ultraconservative President (Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad had done the same, the media would have criticized him with all kinds of harsh words."
Conservative journalist Ali Gholhaki also posted on X: "The country is engulfed in the flames of mismanagement and countless other problems. Who advised the President to stage such a spectacle?"
"I have no idea why Khuzestan has so many problems," media outlets quoted Pezeshkian as saying, adding, "I will change the situation in Khuzestan." Similar promises made by former Presidents Ahmadinejad and Hassan Rouhani did little to improve standards of living in the province.
Over the past 20 years, Khuzestan has been the epicenter of several major protests. Many of those killed during the 2019 nationwide protests in Iran were from Khuzestan, according to human rights organizations.
The Iranian Human Rights News Agency (HRNA) reported that security forces in the province recently arrested dozens of cultural and public figures. The crackdown was carried out to suppress dissent, HRANA reported citing local sources, especially after the fall of the Iran-allied government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Pezeshkian pledged to solve the problems of water supply, unemployment and insufficient educational facilities in the province. "I have inherited these problems from the previous governments," he said.
"I have realized that factories in the province were shut down before my arrival to ensure I see clear skies," the pro-government centrist website Entekhab quoted Pezeshkian as saying. "But you can't fool me! I know this province suffers from pollution all the time."
In an interview, local MP Mojtaba Yousefi highlighted the severe infrastructure challenges in Khuzestan Province, saying, "The government has consistently failed to fulfill its promises to address the province’s water and sewage system issues."
"Despite Khuzestan producing 78 percent of the country’s oil and gas output and being home to five major rivers and six dams, we still struggle to provide clean and fresh water to the local population."
However, none of these "supreme" authorities have officially confirmed that they have authorized negotiations with the United States regarding Iran's nuclear program or other contentious issues, such as Tehran's interventions in regional countries.
In recent days, Pezeshkian has conveyed Tehran's willingness to engage in talks with the U.S., but Khamenei’s hardline allies have strongly criticized both his remarks and those of other officials. This has raised an important question: Does the President have Khamenei’s approval to pursue negotiations with the Trump administration?
It is widely acknowledged in Iranian politics that Khamenei holds ultimate authority over military and foreign policy, meaning his full approval would be necessary for the President to initiate significant negotiations with major powers.
Foreign policy analyst Abdolreza Faraji-Rad told the Khabar Online website in Tehran, "When Iran's President or other senior officials express readiness to negotiate with the United States, it does not imply that they made that decision independently. Rather, it signals that the issue has already been discussed at the Supreme National Security Council," which is the country's highest-ranking decision-making body after Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Faraji-Rad noted that failing to negotiate with Trump would likely lead the United States to increase pressure on Iran and further sanctions would be imposed on Iran's oil exports. He argued that initiating negotiations would be the right course of action. He also suggested that the Iranian Foreign Ministry would likely be assigned the responsibility of advancing these talks.
Meanwhile, he criticized the government's political rivals for hindering its initiative. However, the Iranian government has yet to take any practical steps in this direction, even though hardliners in Iran remained largely silent on the issue during the first two days following Trump’s inauguration.
Former lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh expressed pessimism on Tuesday, suggesting that Pezeshkian might not yet have the necessary approval. However, by Wednesday, Falahatpisheh appeared to soften his stance, writing about Europe’s potential role as a mediator in talks with Washington.
Meanwhile, while the ultraconservatives were generally silent during the past two days, some other elements such as Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib fueled doubts about whether Pezeshkian has the go-ahead for negotiations. Khatib warned against yielding to calls for negotiations with the Trump administration, saying "it could leave Tehran at a disadvantage."
Reformist politician and commentator Fayyaz Zahed also shared with the press in Tehran that, based on his assessment of the relationship between the President and the Supreme Leader, "Pezeshkian has received the green light to initiate negotiations." He added that "Pezeshkian is now seeking a dignified way to carry out this task."
Under growing regional and economic pressure over the past six months, the Islamic Republic has been mocked by opposition groups and many Iranians on social media for wasting decades and hundreds of billions of dollars on its controversial nuclear program and meddling in regional countries. These policies, they argue, have resulted in years of devastating sanctions. Now, with Donald Trump at the helm, critics highlight that the authorities are forced to appeal for talks with Washington.
Zahed added, "All politicians in Iran have reached the conclusion that the country's foreign policy strategy needs to be revised." He continued, "There is currently no obstacle to the decision to negotiate." Additionally, Zahed described Pezeshkian's ultraconservative political rivals as "cartoon characters inflated like balloons."
Former Labor Minister Mohammad Salamati told the press, "Pezeshkian has the backing of the entire political system in his call to start negotiations with America." Highlighting that Trump is also open to dialogue with Iran, Salamati added, "It is now up to us to take the initiative, start direct negotiations with Washington, and strive for favorable outcomes."
He also noted, "Pezeshkian's political rivals cannot prevent this as long as the President has the nation's support." Additionally, Salamati remarked, "Even the Vietnamese secured concessions through negotiations with the United States after the Vietnam War."
Pro-reform Arman Melli Daily suggested that Europe could play a key mediation role in the talks between Tehran and Washington, while the centrist Daily cautioned that Pezeshkian's domestic political rivals pose a greater threat than Trump. Meanwhile, Ham Mihan noted that with Trump’s return, Iran’s foreign policy has entered one of its most complex periods. The report emphasized, however, that Iran must engage in serious negotiations with the United States, as the country faces one of its most severe economic crises.
