Trump admin bypasses Tehran's isolation campaign to reach Iranians directly

FIRST ON FOX: As the Trump administration continues negotiations with Iran, it is also taking its message directly to the Iranian people.

In a video obtained by Fox News Digital, the State Department bypasses Iran's leadership to tell ordinary Iranians that their country's problems stem not from its citizens, but from a government that "chooses confrontation over opportunity."

"The Iranian people are not the problem. A leadership that fears openness and chooses confrontation over opportunity is the problem."

The video will run Thursday in Persian language outlets Iran International and BBC Persian.

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Throughout the message, the State Department, through a narrator speaking Farsi, emphasizes themes of freedom, opportunity and self-determination, portraying the Iranian people as capable of building a more prosperous future while suggesting the country's leadership has prevented it from reaching its full potential.

"When Americans see Iran, we see a great people with a rich history and a generation full of talent and potential," the video's translation says. "Today, millions of Iranians want what people everywhere want: opportunity, stability, a chance to speak freely, and live without fear. Iran has the talent, resources, and educated young people to be among the world's most prosperous nations."

"The future of Iran should be shaped by its people, not by intimidation or fear. It should be built by the people themselves," the video goes on. "Iran's story is still being written. Its best chapter may still lie ahead."

"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 spokesperson Tommy Piggott told Fox News Digital about the video.

"Speaking directly to the people of Iran is important because our disagreement has never been with them, it has always been with a regime that prioritizes funding terror and pursuing a nuclear weapon over the aspirations, prosperity, and freedom of the Iranian people. By speaking directly to them, we're making clear that America stands with the people of Iran."

The outreach comes as U.S. and Iranian officials continue discussing a potential agreement, creating the unusual dynamic of Washington negotiating with Iran's government while simultaneously telling its citizens that the regime is holding the country back.

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The video is likely to be viewed by some regime opponents as symbolic support at a time when many critics of the Islamic Republic have called for more concrete measures from Washington.

Earlier in 2026, anti-government protests spread across the country and evolved into one of the most serious challenges to the Islamic Republic in decades before being crushed by a sweeping government crackdown. Protesters faced mass arrests, internet blackouts and lethal force from security services, according to human rights groups and international monitors.

Iran's opposition remains fragmented, divided among monarchists, reformists, ethnic movements and other factions, and intelligence assessments have questioned whether any unified alternative is positioned to take power should the Islamic Republic fall.

The message echoes comments from President Donald Trump earlier in 2026 suggesting that meaningful political change in Iran would ultimately have to come from within the country.

"We hope the Iranian people can overthrow the government," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 2, shortly after the U.S. launched offensive strikes known as Operation Epic Fury.

While the Trump administration has publicly maintained that negotiations with Tehran remain active, significant obstacles remain, including Iran's nuclear program, sanctions relief and security arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio told lawmakers this week that any agreement would require major Iranian concessions and insisted the administration would not ease sanctions simply in exchange for reopening the strategic waterway.

The video's release also comes as millions of Iranians regain access to the outside world after months of digital isolation. 

Iranian authorities recently began restoring internet access following an 88-day nationwide blackout that was initially imposed during anti-government protests and later expanded after the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel. Internet monitoring groups say connectivity has improved, though significant restrictions remain in place across the country.

The protests featured prominently in administration messaging at the time, with Trump and other senior officials voicing support for demonstrators and drawing a distinction between the Iranian people and the country's leadership.