Pezeshkian: ‘Unholy rage’ fueled by Iran’s enemies after June defeat

President Masoud Pezeshkian says the recent unrest and insecurity was the “conspiracy of Iran’s ill-wishers” and “a vengeful response by the enemies of the Iranian nation” following their defeat in the 12-day war in June.

In a message addressed to the Iranian people on Thursday, Pezeshkian expressed “deep sympathy” with the families of those killed in recent events, describing the developments as “a hard and difficult test” for the country.

“What we all went through in recent weeks was a hard and difficult test that left deep pain behind,” Pezeshkian said.

“These bitter events were, more than anything else, painful and unacceptable for me as president and your elected representative.”

He said hostile forces had turned “the legitimate and civil protests of the people” into “a bloody and violent arena,” resulting in the deaths of nearly 3,000 citizens and injuries to thousands more.

“The same evil hands that, in the 12-day war, shed the blood of more than a thousand women, men, youths, children, scientists and commanders of this land, today emerged from another sleeve,” he said.

“And, by inciting a number of mercenaries, they turned protest — which is the natural right of a dynamic and vibrant society — into an unholy rage, in whose fire hundreds of mosques, schools, public places and national assets were reduced to ashes.”

As a result, “valuable lives were lost”, Pezeshkian wrote, adding that “the martyrdom of nearly 2,500 innocent people and security personnel over a few days of unrest and insecurity was a poisonous event and an extremely difficult experience which our beloved Iran, like other great experiences, has passed through.”

“The American-Zionist conspiracy of Dey 1404 was the cowardly revenge of the enemies of the Iranian nation for their defeat in the 12-day war,” he said, referring the Persian month which expired on Tuesday.

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The president said he was mourning “all the lives lost” and reaffirmed his commitment to safeguarding citizens’ rights, saying he has tasked several groups with “carefully examining the causes and factors behind these events” in order to identify and eliminate “the roots of violence.”

“Protest is the natural right of citizens, and the government considers itself obligated to hear the voice of the people,” Pezeshkian said.

He said authorities will exercise “the utmost care” in handling the cases of detainees, stressing that justice, fairness and compassion will be observed to distinguish protesters and those misled from individuals “whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent people.”

Pezeshkian added that the government and the establishment consider themselves responsible for all those harmed in the events and would work, “as far as possible,” to compensate damages with the help of the Iranian people.

He said identifying weaknesses, repairing them and learning from bitter experiences will pave the way forward, adding that Iran will achieve a “bright and steadfast future” through unity, cohesion and cooperation among the three branches of power under the guidance of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

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