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Iranian citizens tell N12 they are 'hostages' of the regime, are against any deal

Iranian citizens, speaking to Israeli media, describe themselves as 'hostages of a cruel regime' and oppose any potential US-Iran deal, fearing it would erase their sacrifices. Separately, Iranian officials have demanded development of intercontinental ballistic missiles in a letter to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, casting doubt on Washington's trustworthiness. Reports also highlight the regime's acknowledgment of fewer than 4,000 protest deaths versus human rights estimates of up to 30,000.

By Tertius News AI Desk 1 outlet · 3 articles Version 1 Coverage May 27 – Jun 9, 2026 Published Aug 14

Lead

Iranian citizens are expressing deep apprehension over a potential deal between the United States and Iran, with some describing themselves as "hostages of a cruel regime" and calling any agreement a "betrayal," according to interviews aired by Israel's N12 News and reported by The Jerusalem Post. Meanwhile, a separate report indicates that 85 Iranian officials have penned a letter to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei demanding the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, casting further doubt on the trustworthiness of Washington in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

Coverage Comparison

The Jerusalem Post, the sole outlet whose coverage is detailed, has published multiple reports on this story. One report, dated May 27, 2026, features interviews with two anonymous Iranians who spoke to the Post over the past week. The Post frames their concerns around the fear that the sacrifices made during protests against the regime will be nullified if US President Donald Trump reaches a deal with Tehran.

A second report, dated June 9, 2026, relays an interview conducted by Israel's N12 News with Tehran residents, who used the term "hostages of a cruel regime" and labeled any deal with Iran a "betrayal." The report highlights increased security presence in Tehran following a period of strikes between Israel and Iran.

A third article, dated June 4, 2026, focuses on a letter from Iranian officials to Mojtaba Khamenei, reported by the reformist Iranian newspaper Asriran. The Post presents expert interpretations of the letter as a call to develop missiles capable of reaching the United States.

Across these reports, the tone is sympathetic to the Iranian people's plight, with direct quotes from residents and activists. The language used includes terms such as "cruel regime," "betrayal," and "killers," reflecting the emotional intensity of the sources.

Key Claims

Protest Death Toll Estimates Vary Widely

The Jerusalem Post reports that the Iranian regime has acknowledged fewer than 4,000 deaths during the January protests, attributing most to foreign-backed rioters. However, human rights groups and anonymous officials speaking to Western media estimate the true toll to be closer to 30,000, according to the same report. The regime's internet shutdown, threats against victims' families, and mass disappearances have complicated efforts to determine the full scale of the killings.

Iranians' Fear of a US-Iran Deal

A report in The Jerusalem Post quotes an Iranian identified as "Z.," an older professional, who described the "great deal of hope" placed in Washington and Israel after Trump promised "help was on its way" in January. However, Z. expressed that Iranians are fearful that their protest sacrifices will be erased if a deal is made. Another Tehran resident, identified as Roshanek, spoke of the increasingly security-oriented atmosphere and the harsh methods used during "Operation Roaring Lion," including arrests of individuals found with anti-regime content on their phones.

Call for Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

The Jerusalem Post reports that 85 Iranian officials signed a letter to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei expressing condolences on his father's death and demanding the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The letter asserts that the officials will "continue to support our military forces and defense industries until the day comes when the range of our missiles reaches the offices of the killers of the deputy of the Imam of the Age and the martyred Khamenei." Experts from the Institute for the Study of War interpreted this as a call to develop missiles capable of reaching the United States, according to the Post.

Trust in Washington Questioned

The letter also cast doubt on the trustworthiness of Washington in ceasefire negotiations, according to The Jerusalem Post. The report quotes Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, a former advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said it has long been within the Islamic regime's goal to develop a missile capable of reaching the US. Amidror warned that should Tehran walk away with favorable financial terms in ongoing ceasefire talks, the regime could advance such ambitions.

Perspectives

Iranian Citizens

Tehran residents interviewed by N12 and reported by The Jerusalem Post described themselves as "hostages of a cruel regime" and called any deal with Iran a "betrayal." One activist, Alireza Mashhad, urged President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue the fight against Iran, specifically asking Netanyahu to end the regime for good, calling such action "the right thing" to do. Another resident, "Omid," emphasized that only Mojtaba Khamenei's "cruel" government is to blame for hardships Iranians endure.

Iranian Officials

The letter signed by 85 officials, as reported by Asriran and covered by The Jerusalem Post, expresses a hardline stance, advocating for missile development and questioning Washington's trustworthiness. The letter's language, referencing "killers" and "martyred Khamenei," signals a confrontational posture toward the United States and Israel.

Israeli Security Expert

Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, speaking to The Jerusalem Post, interprets the officials' demands as consistent with the regime's long-standing goal of developing a missile capable of reaching the US. He warns of the consequences if Tehran gains favorable financial terms in negotiations.

Corrections

The Jerusalem Post report dated May 27, 2026, was updated on the same day, though no specific corrections were noted in the provided material.

How this outlet told it

Jerusalem Post as of May 27, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC

Framing: Fear of US-Iran deal among Iranians — Sympathetic to the Iranian people's plight

Facts Included:

Iranians are fearful of a potential deal between the US and Iran
Thousands of protesters were killed by the regime in January
Human rights groups estimate the true death toll to be around 30,000
The regime has acknowledged fewer than 4,000 deaths
Iranians have little hope for internal reform within the regime
The US and Iran are currently negotiating a deal that could see the regime handed $24 billion in frozen assets

Read the source article →

Jerusalem Post as of Jun 4, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC

Framing: Iranian officials demand development of intercontinental ballistic missiles — Informative and objective

Facts Included:

Iranian officials have demanded the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles
The letter was addressed to Mojtaba Khamenei
The officials expressed condolences to Khamenei on his father's death
The letter cast doubt on the trustworthiness of Washington in ceasefire negotiations
Experts interpret the letter as a call to develop missiles capable of reaching the US

Read the source article →

Jerusalem Post as of Jun 9, 2026, 8:00 AM UTC

Framing: Tehran residents call any deal with Iran a 'betrayal' — Sympathetic to the Tehran residents' plight

Facts Included:

Tehran residents referred to themselves as 'hostages of a cruel regime'
Residents called any potential deal with Iran a 'betrayal'
The increased police and security presence in Tehran
The harsh security methods used by the forces during Operation Roaring Lion

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimIranians are fearful that the sacrifices they made in demonstrating against the regime will be erased if US President Donald Trump makes a deal with Tehran.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Jerusalem Post as of May 27, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC
ClaimThousands of protesters were killed by the regime in January, with human rights groups estimating the true death toll to be around 30,000.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Jerusalem Post as of May 27, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC
ClaimThe regime has acknowledged fewer than 4,000 deaths, blaming most of them on foreign-backed rioters.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Jerusalem Post as of May 27, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC
ClaimIranians have little hope for internal reform within the regime, and their only hope is pressure and force from other countries.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Jerusalem Post as of May 27, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC
ClaimThe US and Iran are currently negotiating a deal that could see the regime handed $24 billion in frozen assets.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via Jerusalem Post as of May 27, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC
ClaimIranian officials have demanded the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles in a letter addressed to Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Jerusalem Post as of Jun 4, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC
ClaimThe letter cast doubt on the trustworthiness of Washington in ceasefire negotiations and called for the development of missiles capable of reaching the US.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Jerusalem Post as of Jun 4, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC
ClaimTehran residents referred to themselves as 'hostages of a cruel regime' and called any potential deal with Iran a 'betrayal'.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Jerusalem Post as of Jun 9, 2026, 8:00 AM UTC
ClaimThe increased police and security presence in Tehran has led to harsh security methods, including the arrest of those found to have anti-regime content on their phones.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Jerusalem Post as of Jun 9, 2026, 8:00 AM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

1 outlet · 3 articles consulted: Jerusalem Post 9 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-14