An Iranian news agency on Saturday published video of protesters in the holy city of Mashhad, northeastern Iran, shouting slogans against Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, amid speculation that a peace agreement between the United States and Iran could be only hours away.
The demonstrators chanted slogans including “Death to dishonest Araghchi”, according to the footage released by the Fars news agency.
Dozens of people, including many women, gathered outside a Foreign Ministry building and called for the resignation of the head of Iranian diplomacy, the agency reported.
On Friday, Araghchi appeared optimistic on Iranian television about the prospect of reaching an agreement with the United States aimed at ending the war in the Middle East.
Women wearing black chadors and waving flags could be seen in the footage chanting “Death to dishonest Araghchi”.
US President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s prime minister, whose country has played a mediating role in negotiations between Washington and Tehran, said on Saturday that the signing of an agreement to end the war was scheduled for Sunday.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied that an agreement was expected to be signed on Sunday, while expressing optimism that one could possibly be reached “in the coming days”.
The possibility of a settlement has triggered strong reactions among hardliners in the Iranian regime, who oppose concessions, particularly over control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, which has been de facto blocked by the Islamic Republic since the start of hostilities.