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Masoud Pezeshkian’s PR Stunt in Iran’s Khuzestan Province Backfires Amid Protests 

Iranian regime’s president Masoud Pezeshkian poses in front of state media during his trip to Khuzestan Province on January 22, 2025

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Iranian regime’s president Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Khuzestan on January 22, aimed at showcasing his administration’s connection with the people, quickly turned into a scene of public outrage and unrest. The visit, intended as a public relations move to distract from the regime’s failures, highlighted the deep dissatisfaction among Khuzestan’s residents with the government’s inability to address economic, social, and environmental crises. 

As Pezeshkian addressed the crowd in Ahvaz, his remarks about Khuzestan’s untapped potential and structural issues were met with chants of “unemployment, unemployment” from the audience. Despite his claims of being committed to resolving long-standing problems, Pezeshkian admitted, “I don’t know why Khuzestan is like this. Everywhere you look, there is a blessing, yet we stand on the ground and see completely unacceptable problems.” The palpable frustration of the people drowned out his attempt to project empathy. 

The state-controlled media attempted to frame the visit as a successful engagement with the people, but video footage and eyewitness accounts revealed a different story. Workers from the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company staged protests demanding clarity on their employment situation, while banners at the event highlighted grievances such as water transfers, unemployment, and poverty. Meanwhile, residents criticized the government for leaving critical projects incomplete while corruption consumed allocated budgets. 

The regime made significant efforts to control the narrative around Pezeshkian’s visit. Journalists were prohibited from bringing mobile phones to public meetings, sparking their protest. Additionally, live television coverage of Pezeshkian’s speech was abruptly cut off when chants of discontent erupted among the crowd. According to Javadi Yeganeh, a government advisor, this moment revealed the true state of the regime’s relationship with the people in Khuzestan. “The real relationship between the people and the state was clear in this meeting,” he admitted, adding that other official interactions were “staged and artificial.” 

Even with the regime’s spin, the protests against Pezeshkian were impossible to conceal entirely. Anti-government graffiti appeared throughout the province before his arrival, reading slogans like, “Pezeshkian, leave Khuzestan,” and “The record-holder of executions, get out.” These protests reflect the deep resentment in a province that has borne the brunt of the regime’s economic mismanagement, environmental degradation, and oppressive security policies. 

Pezeshkian’s claims of addressing Khuzestan’s issues mirror the empty promises of his predecessors. For decades, successive administrations have announced plans to resolve the province’s problems, only to leave projects unfinished or underfunded. Despite government propaganda framing Pezeshkian’s visit as a turning point, local residents view it as yet another photo-op with no meaningful impact on their lives. 

Pezeshkian’s visit underscores his administration’s desperation. Unable to resolve any issues, the regime’s president has resorted to public relations exercises in an attempt to mitigate unrest. However, as evident in Khuzestan, these efforts only amplify the regime’s lack of legitimacy among a population struggling with poverty, pollution, and systemic injustice. 

With Khuzestan’s residents vocalizing their discontent despite the regime’s attempts to silence them, Pezeshkian’s visit served as a stark reminder of the Iranian government’s failures. As the chants of “unemployment” echoed through the streets of Ahvaz, the message was clear: the people of Khuzestan are no longer swayed by empty words and controlled narratives.