Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkiyan said on Saturday that US, Israeli and European leaders have taken advantage of Iran’s economic woes, fomenting unrest and giving people the means to “enrage the nation” during the country’s recent nationwide protests. Reuters drew attention to it, TASR informs.
- Iran’s president accused the West of fomenting unrest in the country.
- Protests in Iran began on December 28, 2025 due to the economic crisis.
- Thousands of people died in the crackdown, including protesters and police officers.
Demonstrations in Iran began on December 28, 2025 due to the economic crisis and gradually spread from Tehran to the whole country. The security forces violently intervened against the protesters, which provoked widespread criticism from several Western countries.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported more than 6,000 confirmed deaths in Iran, including 6,170 protesters and 241 security forces.
They are provoking, the president claims
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi told CNN Turk that 3,100 people died during the protests, including 2,000 members of the security forces, Reuters points out.
US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Europeans “used our problems, provoked and tried – and are still trying – to break society”, Pezeshkiyan said in a speech broadcast live on state television.
“They drove them to the streets and wanted, as they said, to subvert this country, sow conflict and hatred among people and create divisions… Everyone knows that it was not just a social protest,” the Iranian president added.
The US is considering options
Trump supported the demonstrations and threatened Tehran with intervention in connection with the solution to this situation. According to Reuters, American officials confirmed on Friday that the US president is considering his options, but has not yet decided whether to attack Iran.
Responding to US threats, Araqchi declared that Iran is ready for negotiations as well as for war, and is also ready to work with countries in the region to promote stability and peace. “Regime change is a complete fantasy. Some have succumbed to this illusion,” the minister told CNN Turk. “Our system is so deeply rooted and so firmly established that the comings and goings of individuals have no effect on it,” he added.
Reuters recalls that regional allies, including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, are engaged in diplomatic efforts to prevent a military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
