Pezeshkian issues instruction: 'Do not intervene in protests'

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah made a statement to the Iranian press following a Cabinet meeting. Evaluating the protests that have begun in the country due to high inflation, Ghaempanah stated that President Masoud Pezeshkian had issued instructions regarding the protests, saying, "President Pezeshkian stated that security forces should not intervene against the protesting public so as not to harm national security. However, those who attack security and military facilities with weapons, knives, or clubs are rioters. It is necessary to distinguish between protesters and such rioter elements."

MESSAGE REGARDING DETENTIONS

Emphasizing that the government considers objections regarding the cost of living and professional demands to be legitimate, Ghaempanah said, "Security institutions will act with maximum courtesy regarding those who have been detained. Those who have not been involved in extraordinary actions and have no connection to foreign elements will be treated within the framework of Islamic mercy."

Touching upon the recent fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, Ghaempanah noted that Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati had made a presentation to the Cabinet, stating, "There is a plan to bring the exchange rate under control. Under these conditions, the exchange rate fluctuations being experienced should be accepted as natural in the ongoing economic reform process."

ECONOMIC CRISIS IN IRAN SPILLS ONTO THE STREETS

Following the dollar exchange rate exceeding the 140,000 band against the Iranian rial, reactions against the cost of living had risen in the capital, Tehran. The worsening economic conditions following the 12-day war, high inflation, price increases in basic food and consumer goods, and the sharp decline in purchasing power had caused unrest among broad segments of the population. Within the scope of the protests, many shopkeepers in the Alaeddin and Charsou passages in southern Tehran and the Grand Bazaar had closed their shutters, and hundreds of Iranian protesters had gathered on Vali-e Asr, Jomhouri, and Enghelab streets to hold a march. Following the protests in Tehran, demonstrations spread across the country in a short time with calls for protests and strikes.

News Source: İHA