White House confirms US, Iran to hold talks in Pakistan on Saturday

Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi urged Iranians to remain patient following a two-week ceasefire, saying the government had been weakened but that its repression apparatus had not been fully eliminated and that the final blow must come from the Iranian people.

“I know that news of the two week ceasefire between the Islamic Republic, America and Israel has disheartened many of you. But today is not a time for despair, it is a time for even greater belief in victory,” Pahlavi said in a video message addressed to Iranians inside the country.

He said that while the Islamic Republic has been “profoundly weakened,” its capacity for repression has not been “entirely eliminated.”

“We knew from the outset, however, that the Islamic Republic would not fall solely through the elimination of its command structure and the degradation of its repressive apparatus by aerial strikes. That is precisely why, in every message I have addressed to you, I emphasized that it is we, the Iranian nation, who must deliver the final blow to this weakened regime and bring about its ultimate end,” he said.

He said his priority was to ensure any final move to topple the Islamic Republic minimizes loss of life, urging Iranians to remain patient, protect themselves and stay ready, while pledging to continue efforts abroad to support calls for the regime's end.

“I therefore ask that you remain patient, protect yourselves and, with faith in victory and full readiness, await the decisive moment. In the meantime, I and all our compatriots abroad will raise your demand for an end to the Islamic Republic with every ounce of our strength,” he said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that if attacks on Lebanon do not stop, a “regretful response” will face the “aggressors” in the region, state media reported.

Explosions and air defense activity were heard across Tehran on Wednesday evening, eyewitnesses told Iran International.

Eyewitnesses said they heard drone activity in southern Jannat Abad, a residential area in west Tehran, at 19:30 local time, as well as about 15 small explosions.

Eyewitnesses also said they heard a loud explosion in Marzdaran, also in west Tehran, at around 19:45.

They said explosions and air defense activity were heard in central Tehran.

At 20:00, eyewitnesses said air defense systems were active in the Mehrabad area, near Tehran’s main domestic airport in the west of the city, and Shahrak-e Esteghlal, a neighborhood in west Tehran.

The two-week ceasefire was announced after weeks of fighting that began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran while negotiations were still underway.

President Trump said on Wednesday that Washington would work closely with Iran following what he described as a “productive regime change,” adding there would be no uranium enrichment.

But messages from across Iran suggested the pause in fighting has stirred mixed and often painful reactions. Some described the truce as a missed opportunity for political change.

“We asked you for help to free Iran, but not only did you not free it, you handed us a much worse country and trampled the blood of 45,000 martyrs,” one citizen wrote in a message addressed to Trump, referring to protesters killed during past nationwide unrest.

Others expressed deep despair about the country’s future.

“When I heard the news of the ceasefire, it felt like the world collapsed on my head,” a resident of Tehran said.

“We were miserable and now we will become more miserable. We no longer have any hope,” another message said.

Despite the truce, a weeks-long internet blackout across Iran has persisted, limiting communication and access to outside information.

Some urged patience, however, suggesting the ceasefire could be part of a broader strategy.

“Trump knows what he is doing. If he intended to accept the conditions, he would not have entered the war at all. Perhaps more surprises will occur in the coming days,” one citizen wrote.

Another message called on Iranians not to lose hope.

“Do not be so hopeless. Regime change is possible. This ceasefire may be another surprise. You have the right to be tired, but you must remain patient,” a citizen from Kerman wrote in a message addressed to fellow Iranians.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that US and Iranian delegations would arrive in Pakistan on Friday for talks, raising the prospect that the ceasefire could open the way for negotiations.

Some also warned that the pause in fighting could allow the authorities to intensify domestic repression.

“With this ceasefire, the killing machine will be activated faster and more young people will be at risk,” one message said.

Iran has carried out executions during the war, raising fears among activists that the authorities may use the ceasefire period to tighten control.

Others reflected on the uncertainty surrounding the fragile truce.

“I feel like a patient whose surgeon, in the middle of surgery, says let us wait a bit and see if it heals on its own,” one citizen wrote.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the US-Iran ceasefire was a relief but uncertainty remains in the region.

In a post on X, Kallas said she met Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi in Riyadh to discuss how to move from the two-week truce toward a more permanent peace, as well as broader regional issues.

"This crisis has proven the need for a stronger EU–Gulf partnership, including on security and defence cooperation which can make both of us stronger," she said.