Masoud Pezeshkian stated that the people of Iran have the right to protest, unlike terrorists brought in from overseas
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said in a televised interview on Sunday that the US and Israel are interfering in the unrest rocking Iran, accusing Washington and West Jerusalem of inciting ‘foreign terrorists’ among the protesters.
A deadly upheaval broke out in the sanctioned nation late last month, triggered by hyperinflation and a deteriorating economic crisis. Pezeshkian told state broadcaster IRIB that the government is trying to address the public’s concerns ‘by any means necessary’.
He stated that the ‘chaos’ is being intensified by ‘rioters and terrorists,’ not by Iranians with legitimate grievances.
Pezeshkian accused them of violent acts, saying, ‘The enemy… is training terrorists both within the country and abroad, bringing terrorists into the country… They set fire to mosques, markets, and guilds.’
“These people do not belong to this country. If someone belongs to this country, let them protest, and we will hear their protest, listen to it, and solve it.”
Pezeshkian accused the US and Israel of inciting the protesters and urged Iranians not to let young people associate with ‘rioters and terrorists’.
Iran’s PressTV reported on Sunday that violent clashes between protesters and authorities have resulted in dozens of deaths among Iranian security forces and civilian bystanders. Multiple mosques, medical facilities, and other buildings across the country have reportedly been set on fire.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shared a graphic clip on Sunday showing rioters beating and burning police officers to death.
A security camera video released by PressTV shows a Molotov cocktail being thrown into a mosque where children are playing.
Watch as rioters throw Molotov cocktails at children in a mosque in the Iranian city of Sabzevar, setting the building ablaze.
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A nationwide internet shutdown was implemented in Iran on Thursday and remained in effect at the time of reporting.
The demonstrations were openly encouraged by a Farsi-language social media account linked to Israel’s Mossad, which claimed it had agents embedded among the protesters.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he is prepared to intervene directly.
“The USA stands ready to help!!!” he wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.
Last summer, after accusing Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapon, the US joined Israel in attacking several of Iran’s largest nuclear facilities – allegations that Tehran denied, asserting its program is entirely peaceful.