Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has acknowledged that the government—not the United States—is responsible for public dissatisfaction amid ongoing protests against rising inflation, 24NewsHD TV reported on Friday.
Responding to the demonstrations, President Pezeshkian stated that managing national resources and resolving public issues is the government’s responsibility.
He admitted that public grievances are the result of government failures and poor administration, adding that the authorities must make serious efforts to address the concerns of the people.
Protests against soaring inflation and the rapid devaluation of the national currency have been ongoing for the past five days in several Iranian cities and have intensified over time.
According to Iranian media, protesters in several cities stormed government buildings, while 30 individuals involved in unrest have been detained by security forces.
Arab media reports that Iran is facing a severe economic crisis due to international economic sanctions, with the national currency hitting record lows.
The Iranian rial has depreciated to the extent that 1.4 million rials are now equal to just one US dollar.
Economic experts say the currency’s fall to such historic lows indicates that the value of the Iranian rial has nearly collapsed.
The sharp depreciation has occurred amid sanctions and regional tensions, leading to uncontrolled inflation and rising living costs across the country.