Yousef Pezeshkian’s daily social media posts reveal no state secrets, but expose questions dominating Iranian society
A
n Iranian keeping a diary expressing his doubts about the war’s outcome, even shedding a tear over its impact on his grandmother, might not seem extraordinary but for the fact the diarist is the son of the president.
Apart from fierce loyalty to his father, Masoud Pezeshkian, the former heart surgeon elected to the presidency in 2024 who he says he has not seen since the war started, Yousef Pezeshkian’s daily reflections on social media chart how the war effort is going, its impact on ordinary Iranians and how he believes the fight could be made more effective.
The 45-year-old assistant professor in physics reveals no official state secrets, says he has none, and questions the value of knowing some information 48 hours before others. He instead hears what is happening from television or social media. Yet in Iran’s highly censored society, he reveals the fluctuating hopes and fears of a government supporter, and one who is familiar with it.
