Tehran , 01 April (H.S.):

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made a rare public appearance on Tuesday, joining a rally for Islamic Republic Day and signaling Tehran's readiness to end the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel under specific guarantees.

The leaders cruised through crowds in Tehran without apparent security details, interacting directly with demonstrators and pausing for selfies, a bold move amid persistent assassination threats from US-Israeli strikes.

Videos of their engagement spread rapidly online, with Araghchi explaining his presence as a bid to draw energy from the movement on the ground and enjoy this unity.

Conditions for Ceasefire

Pezeshkian conveyed to European Council head that Iran possesses the necessary will to end this conflict, contingent on assurances preventing future aggression, echoing a recent counterproposal to a US 15-point plan. This stance rejects a mere ceasefire, demanding mechanisms to bar renewed attacks by Israel or the US, following Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz to tankers.

Araghchi acknowledged direct messages from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff but dismissed them as negotiations, citing zero trust in Washington. He warned of robust defenses against any ground offensive, stating Iran is completely ready and would excel in such a scenario.

Broader Conflict Context

The outing marks the first street appearance by these officials since Iranian Quds Day, shortly before security chief Ali Larijani's death in US-Israeli strikes that ignited the war.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, asserted US forces will exit Iran very soon—maybe two weeks, maybe three—deal or no deal—once Tehran is crippled enough to forgo nuclear ambitions, amid soaring domestic fuel prices.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard has threatened reprisals against US tech giants like Google and Apple starting Wednesday if assassinations persist, while strikes hit Iranian pharmaceutical and steel sites.

Questions linger over Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's whereabouts since assuming power post his father's February 28 death, with no confirmed sightings fueling US intelligence debates.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar