‘Araghchi, be ashamed’: Iranian hardliners protest emerging US deal - report

What Happened

Iranian hardliners staged protests in Tehran and Mashhad on Saturday night against an emerging agreement with the United States, according to the Qatari-owned Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. In Tehran, demonstrators gathered in a central square and chanted slogans targeting Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, with shouts of “Araghchi, be ashamed and leave the country” and “Ghalibaf, Araghchi – what about the blood of our leader?” A separate demonstration occurred outside a Foreign Ministry office in Mashhad. The protests came amid a backdrop of hardline media criticism: Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of the newspaper Kayhan, published an editorial questioning the logic of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as a key bargaining chip, while Fars News Agency, close to the IRGC, reported that US President Trump’s “strange insistence” on signing a memorandum of understanding on Sunday, June 14, constituted a test for Iran’s negotiators. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned that any understanding would only be a framework for continued talks, not a final agreement.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The protests reveal a deep domestic rift over Iran’s nuclear diplomacy. Hardliners, including groups close to ex-nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and IRGC-linked media, see any framework deal as a capitulation, particularly regarding the Strait of Hormuz—a strategic chokepoint they view as leverage for extracting compensation. This internal pressure could constrain the Pezeshkian government’s ability to negotiate sanctions relief, risking a collapse of the backchannel talks and fueling further regional tension if the deal stalls.

Watch For

Monitor whether the protests escalate and whether hardline-led opposition forces a hardening of Iran’s official stance. Watch for any official response to Trump’s stated goal of signing a memorandum on Sunday, June 14—particularly if the date passes without a ceremony. Look for further commentary from Kayhan, Fars, and the office of Supreme Leader Khamenei, which could signal whether the conservative camp is mobilizing to block a deal. Also track any Iranian repositioning on the Strait of Hormuz in direct negotiations.