The leaders of the US, Israel and the EU are taking advantage of Iran's economic problems. This was stated by Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, quoted by Reuters. According to him, they have tried to provoke and create division in the country, involving innocent people in this.
Two weeks of nationwide protests, which started in late December due to an economic crisis marked by rising inflation and rising living costs, have subsided after bloody repression by the authorities in Tehran. According to the human rights organization HRANA, at least 6,563 people were killed during the protests.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed support for the protests, saying that the US is ready to take action if Iran continues to kill demonstrators. He has preemptively sent a destroyer to the area.
Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Europeans "took advantage of our problems, provoked and sought, and still seek, to fragment society," Pezeshkian said. According to him, they wanted to sow conflict and hatred and tear Iran apart. He stressed that it was clear to everyone that the protests were not just social.
Regional allies, including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have launched diplomatic efforts to prevent a military confrontation between Washington and Tehran. The US has been demanding that Iran curb its nuclear program if the two countries want to resume talks instead, but Iran has rejected that demand.