As the Trump administration continues high-stakes negotiations with Iran, it is also pursuing a parallel strategy: speaking directly to the Iranian people while sharply criticizing the government that rules them.
In a newly produced video set to air Thursday on Persian-language outlets Iran International and BBC Persian, the State Department delivers a message that deliberately bypasses Iran’s leadership and appeals directly to ordinary citizens. The central theme is straightforward: America’s dispute is not with the people of Iran, but with the regime that governs them.
“The Iranian people are not the problem,” the video states. “A leadership that fears openness and chooses confrontation over opportunity is the problem.”
The timing is significant.
The outreach comes as Iran emerges from months of digital isolation following an 88-day nationwide internet blackout imposed during widespread anti-government demonstrations. While restrictions remain in place, millions of Iranians have regained at least partial access to outside information, creating an opportunity for foreign governments to communicate directly with audiences inside the country.
The protests that triggered the crackdown represented one of the most serious challenges to the Islamic Republic in decades. Demonstrations spread across multiple regions before being suppressed through mass arrests, internet restrictions, and force by security services, according to human rights organizations and international observers.
Against that backdrop, the State Department’s video seeks to portray a distinction between Iran’s people and its rulers.
“When Americans see Iran, we see a great people with a rich history and a generation full of talent and potential,” the video’s translated narration says.
“Today, millions of Iranians want what people everywhere want: opportunity, stability, a chance to speak freely, and live without fear.”
The message repeatedly emphasizes themes of freedom, prosperity, and self-determination while arguing that Iran possesses the resources and talent necessary to become one of the world’s most successful nations.
“Iran has the talent, resources, and educated young people to be among the world’s most prosperous nations,” the narrator says.
The video goes even further by suggesting that the country’s future depends on change driven by its own citizens.
“The future of Iran should be shaped by its people, not by intimidation or fear.”
“Iran’s story is still being written. Its best chapter may still lie ahead.”
For critics of the Iranian regime, the message may be welcomed as a symbolic gesture of support. Others may question whether symbolic support is enough. Opposition movements inside and outside Iran have frequently called for stronger actions from Washington, arguing that statements alone are unlikely to alter the balance of power.
The administration, however, appears determined to maintain the distinction between opposition to the regime and respect for the Iranian people.
“The Iranian people deserve to hear the truth directly, without the lies and propaganda of a regime that has spent decades violently suppressing dissent, enriching itself, and ignoring the needs of its own citizens,” State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott told Fox News Digital.
“Speaking directly to the people of Iran is important because our disagreement has never been with them.”
The strategy creates an unusual diplomatic dynamic.
At the same time Washington is negotiating with Iranian officials over sanctions, nuclear issues, and regional security concerns, it is also broadcasting messages suggesting that Iran’s leadership is holding the country back from a more prosperous future.
That dual-track approach reflects comments made by both President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio throughout the year.
Earlier in 2026, Rubio openly expressed hope that political change would ultimately come from within Iran.
“We hope the Iranian people can overthrow the government,” Rubio said following Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military campaign targeting Iranian assets.
Despite those remarks, negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain ongoing. Major obstacles remain unresolved, including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, and security arrangements involving the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio has repeatedly insisted that any agreement will require significant concessions from Tehran and has rejected the idea of easing sanctions merely in exchange for reopening strategic shipping routes.
For now, the administration appears to be sending two messages simultaneously: one to Iran’s government at the negotiating table, and another to the Iranian people watching from home.
The first is that negotiations remain possible.
The second is that America believes Iran’s future belongs not to its rulers, but to its citizens.
