TEHRAN: Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has associated the protests and unrest in the country with the meddling of its external foes, with the U.S. and Israel mentioned as the main culprits.
In a media interview, Pezeshkian proclaimed the Iranian public’s right to peaceful protest while assuring them that their complaints would be heard and at the same time, he asserted that it is the responsibility of the government not only to resolve public discontent but also to ensure that no one can connive at stirring up trouble in the country.
The President particularly warned the youth against falling for the deception of those causing violence, whom he labelled as “terrorists” receiving training from foreign powers. Pezeshkian expressed, “These enemies have trained people both in and out of Iran for the purpose of ruining public and private property and killing citizens.” He characterized the current unrest as skilled terrorists’ rather than common protestors’ actions.
Pezeshkian encouraged the public not to associate with those who are trying to bring in violence and, at the same time, stated that the government is hearing the public’s concerns and is very much active in trying to solve the problems. “We are doing our best to fix the issues and calm the worries of the people. We won’t let any foreign power to divide our nation,” he told them.
When addressing the country, he also suggested the unification and the alliance of the people as a whole, supporting the government with external interference dealt with. “We are striving to better people’s lives and to guarantee peace and security. We will not allow anybody to attempt this process, disrupting,” he concluded.
The Iranian President, however, indirectly criticized the American President Donald Trump, by considering him to be guilty for the same reasons in Venezuela, Gaza and other places. Moreover, Pezeshkian charged the U.S. and Israel with being the root cause of the violence in Iran and remarked, “These are the same who have killed our progeny and are inciting the rioters to go and destroy and burn.”
He asked the Iranian people to unite in overcoming the hardships of the nation and also encouraged tranquillity, asserting, “No person should be the source of disorder and no person’s life should be forfeited.” He continued to claim that the Iranian government is committed to rooting out corruption and settling citizens’ grievances but at the same time peace would not be interrupted by the wrongdoers.
Pezeshkian ended by saying that the killing of citizens would not be tolerated and that he held the U.S. and Israel responsible for being the sources of support and training for the violent ones who create disturbance.
