WANA (Mar 13) – The Quds Day marches in Iran were held amid widespread reactions on social media and in regional media. These reactions focused on two main points:

 

  • First, the presence of high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic among the people despite direct death threats from Israel and the United States;
  • Second, the display of fearlessness by Iranian citizens during the gatherings.

 

Continuing the March Amid Sounds of Explosions and Air Defense

Field reports indicate that during the ceremony, the sounds of fighter jets and air defense systems were clearly heard, and an explosion from an airstrike also occurred. Nevertheless, people did not retreat and continued the march.

 

According to reports, an Iranian woman near Enghelab Square in Tehran was killed by shrapnel. In response to the explosion and rising smoke, people in the streets chanted “Allahu Akbar”(“God is Great”) and “Hayhat minna al-dhilla” (“Never to humiliation”).

 

A user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: “Despite carpet bombing by Israel and the US, thousands and thousands of Iranians are on the streets all over the country, in support of Palestine, to mark International Quds Day.”

Political analyst Seyed Mohammad Marandi also wrote on X: “Epstein Coalition bombs Iranians attending International Quds Day rally in Tehran. This is the true nature of “Western civilization.”

 

From Souvenir Selfies to Explicit Demands

The presence of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian among the crowd became one of the major media highlights. Evidence indicates that he appeared among the people without the usual security team (bodyguards) and interacted very warmly and closely with them, even taking many selfies with participants.

 

 

Videos circulating online also showed people voicing their demands. Marchers chanted “No compromise, no apology,” urging Pezeshkian to continue this path firmly to the end. In one scene, a citizen directly told him, “Doctor, please, don’t compromise.”

 

A foreign user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: “Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, marched among the people today while American bombs were still striking. There was no golf course and no shelter. Some leaders have a different definition of courage!”

 

Another account, comparing Iranian and Western leaders, wrote: “Iranians kiss and snap photos with President Pezeshkian as he joins crowd at Quds Day rally — despite threats to his life. Can any Western president move this freely among the public?”

Reactions of Judicial and Security Officials

Among other officials, the presence of Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, head of the judiciary, drew significant attention. While he was giving an interview, an explosion occurred nearby.

 

However, he remained completely calm and, unlike the anxious cameraman and others present, continued speaking without hesitation. This moment became widely discussed in the media.

 

The presence of Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, also drew reactions from Israeli media.

 

Channel 12 of the Israeli regime wrote: “Ali Larijani walks in the streets of Iran without fear of Israeli army attacks in the region and mocks Trump by saying that the Iranian nation is powerful.”

Larijani, in an interview during the march, said: “Trump’s problem is that he does not have the understanding to see that the Iranian nation is a mature, strong, and determined nation. The more pressure the United States applies, the stronger the will of this nation becomes.”

 

He added, “The attacks by the Zionist regime along the route of the march show their desperation and fear; someone who is strong does not bomb in the middle of a march—it is clear that they have run out of strength.”

 

Diplomacy in the Streets

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister, also faced clear demands from people calling for no negotiation or compromise. In an interview during the ceremony, he said:

 

“Today is Quds Day, and despite the brutal attacks by the Zionist regime and the United States, the Iranian people, with their millions-strong presence in Tehran and other cities, have shown their firm determination in supporting the cause of Palestine and the system.”

“God willing, we will continue with the same strength, and the enemies will be forced to acknowledge the power of the Iranian people,” he added.

 

A user on X wrote: “Iran’s Foreign Minister marching in the streets of Tehran on Quds Day. The same man who told NBC America is ‘the Great Satan’ is now walking among the crowds while B-52s circle overhead. Defiance as performance. The show must go on.”

 

Analysts believe that, unlike many American and Israeli officials who, along with their residents, remain in shelters and under strict security measures, Iranians have shown that their will is stronger than their fear and that they remain steadfast in their positions of resistance.