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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that failing to fix the livelihoods of his people would lead officials to hell, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Speaking as protests continued over the country’s struggling economy, Pezeshkian also said it was his government was to blame for dissatisfaction, not any other country.
“According to the Quran, if we fail to solve the people’s problems, we will end up in hell,” Pezeshkian said, per the Post.
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Why It Matters
Protests have erupted in recent days over Iran’s flailing economy, at the same time as the country’s leaders and military officials have been suggesting the Middle Eastern country is at war with the U.S., Europe, and Israel—something the U.S. and Europe, at least, have not echoed.
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What To Know
According to Iranian media, Pezeshkian has been trying to ease concerns about the economy, after the head of the Central Bank resigned when Iran's currency dropped dramatically against the dollar.
On Wednesday, the president said genuine solidarity and constructive criticism were needed when addressing the challenges faced by Iran at the moment, per the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). The criticism, he said, should be aimed at improving governance.
Pezeshkian will be under pressure to act fast, as protests reportedly turned deadly when a volunteer member of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed at the hands of demonstrators in a western province, per IRNA.
In Kouhdasht, around 250 miles southwest of Tehran, around 20 people were arrested by authorities after protesting there, with calm reportedly returning to the city shortly after.
The government has been trying to signal it is willing to negotiate and talk with protesters, with Pezeshkian’s comments on what could happen if Iranian officials don’t address the issues faced by residents appearing to reflect that.
That message somewhat contrasts with the last major wave of protests in Iran in 2022, following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. Then, officials heavily cracked down on those who took to the streets in outrage.
What People Are Saying
Saeed Pourali, a deputy governor in Iran's Lorestan province, speaking to Iran’s Student News Network: “The protests that have occurred are due to economic pressures, inflation and currency fluctuations, and are an expression of livelihood concerns. The voices of citizens must be heard carefully and tactfully, but people must not allow their demands to be strained by profit-seeking individuals.”
Hamidreza Azizi, a research fellow at German think tank SWP Berlin: “The most significant impact of the protests is likely to be a further erosion, and further visible evidence, of the Islamic republic’s already declining legitimacy, rather than a fundamental transformation of the system itself.”
Israel's Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Gila Gamliel, on X: “You are not alone. I call the world to hear your cry for freedom and to support you.”
What Happens Next
While the Iranian president signaled he wanted to work to address the concerns felt by his citizens on Thursday, protests continued to grow in number across the country.
This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.
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