Iran’s Digital Applause: President Pezeshkian Rides a Wave of Online Gratitude

According to Saed News, in a rare gesture of unprompted civic endorsement, Iranian social media users have begun circulating the hashtag #آقایرئیسجمهور_متشکریم (“Mr President, thank you”), offering public appreciation for President Masoud Pezeshkian’s low-profile, steady-handed leadership during the recent twelve-day military confrontation between Iran and Israel.

Unlike his predecessors, who often took a more combative public stance during crises, Pezeshkian has adopted what many are describing as a “reassuringly understated” approach. He made multiple appearances among civilians, emphasized calm, and prioritised essential services—moves that appear to have resonated with a population fatigued by years of political volatility and external pressure.

Online posts highlight his physical presence at hospitals and distribution centres, his avoidance of inflammatory rhetoric, and his visible attempts to unify a polarized public. “Leadership without spectacle,” one user wrote, while another praised his “quiet discipline” amid what could have become a national panic.

The online gratitude—largely organic and uncoordinated—suggests a broader public appetite for political pragmatism over performative nationalism. In a region where public expressions of support for leaders are often seen as choreographed or state-sponsored, the grassroots tone of the hashtag is notable.

Though symbolic, the trend may reflect something deeper: a temporary convergence of elite restraint and popular expectation. In moments of crisis, credibility can be currency—and for now, Pezeshkian appears to be spending his wisely.

Whether this momentary digital approval will translate into long-term political capital remains to be seen. Iran’s domestic challenges, from economic malaise to international isolation, are unlikely to dissipate soon. But for now, amid regional turbulence, President Pezeshkian has found an uncommon political asset: public trust.