U.S., Israeli and European leaders exploited Iran’s economic problems and encouraged unrest during recent nationwide protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday (31 January).
The demonstrations broke out in late December over soaring inflation and rising living costs and spread across multiple cities.
“Recent experience has shown that sworn enemies, including the Zionist regime and its Western backers, are constantly trying to provoke, sow discord and divide Iran,” Pezeshkian said.
"By exploiting social demands, they attempted to turn protests into a civil war,” he said, adding that authorities must listen to peaceful protesters and address their real concerns.
“We are obliged to reassess our behavior and actions toward the people in order to deprive ill-wishers of any excuse to turn protests into hatred and incitement,” the Iranian President concluded.
The protests lasted around two weeks before being suppressed by security forces in a crackdown that rights groups say left at least 6,563 people dead, including 6,170 protesters and 214 members of the security forces, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CNN Türk that 3,100 people, including 2,000 security personnel, had been killed.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced support for the demonstrators and warned that the U.S. was prepared to act if Iran continued to kill protesters.
U.S. officials said on Friday that Trump was reviewing options but had not decided on any military action.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Ynet news reported that a U.S. Navy destroyer docked at the Israeli port of Eilat on Friday.
Regional powers, including Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have been engaging in diplomatic efforts to prevent a confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
The U.S. has demanded that Iran curb its missile programme as a condition for resuming talks, but Araghchi said missiles would never be subject to negotiation.
He added that Tehran was prepared for either diplomacy or warfare and was also ready to engage with regional countries to promote stability.
“Regime change is a complete fantasy,” Araghchi said, adding that “some have fallen for this illusion”.
"Our system is so deeply rooted and so firmly established that the comings and goings of individuals make no difference," he concluded.
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Spain’s Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal by the father of a 25‑year‑old woman who opposed her right to euthanasia, clearing the way for the procedure to go ahead, the court said on Friday (20 February).
Türkiye has signalled readiness to contribute to a proposed Gaza stabilisation force during the inaugural Board of Peace meeting on Thursday (19 February), but according to former Turkish diplomat Mehmet Öğütçü, the decisive factor will be whether Israel and the United States agree on Ankara’s role.
Türkiye is prepared to contribute troops to a proposed international stabilisation force for Gaza, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday.
Indonesia and the United States have finalised a trade agreement lowering U.S. tariffs on Indonesian goods to 19% from 32%, with exemptions secured for palm oil and several other major exports.
Israel is preparing for the possibility of receiving a green light from the United States to launch strikes against Iran’s ballistic missile system, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.
Aghdam’s Qarabag FK experienced a 6–1 defeat to England’s Newcastle United in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie in Azerbaijan's capital Baku Wednesday evening (18 February).
U.S. President Donald Trump’s 'Board of Peace' will hold its first leaders’ meeting on Thursday (19 February) in Washington, D.C., launching an initiative aimed at stabilising Gaza and addressing global conflicts. It's drawn support from regional powers but refusals from several EU countries.
The Board of Peace will be "looking over the United Nations," said U.S. President Donald Trump at the inaugural Washington meeting, where representatives from over 20 countries gathered to unveil plans for Gaza’s reconstruction and coordinate international support.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in the Kremlin on Wednesday, telling him that new restrictions imposed on the communist-run island were unacceptable.
Uzbekistan's president Shavkat Mirziyoyev has held a series of high-level meetings in the U.S. aimed at strengthening bilateral economic and strategic ties between the two countries.
Türkiye has signalled readiness to contribute to a proposed Gaza stabilisation force during the inaugural Board of Peace meeting on Thursday (19 February), but according to former Turkish diplomat Mehmet Öğütçü, the decisive factor will be whether Israel and the United States agree on Ankara’s role.
Türkiye is prepared to contribute troops to a proposed international stabilisation force for Gaza, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday.
Iran has warned it will respond “decisively” if subjected to military aggression, saying U.S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric signals “a real risk of military aggression”.
The U.S. government has signed an agreement with Uzbekistan to secure better access to the Central Asian country's critical minerals, as U.S. President Donald Trump moves to counter China's dominance of crucial resources and their supply chains.
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