Iran resident Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that leaders in the United States, Israel and Europe had taken advantage of Iran’s economic difficulties to inflame unrest and encourage recent nationwide protests.
In a live broadcast on state television, Pezeshkian claimed foreign powers exploited rising inflation and living costs to deepen divisions and push parts of the population toward confrontation. He said external actors had provided resources and encouragement that risked “tearing the nation apart.”
Deadly Protests Follow Economic Crisis
The protests erupted in late December and continued for about two weeks, driven by public anger over a worsening economic crisis marked by soaring prices and declining living standards. The demonstrations have since subsided following a violent crackdown by Iran’s clerical authorities.
The US-based human rights group HRANA reported that at least 6,563 people were killed during the unrest, including 6,170 protesters and 214 members of the security forces.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi offered a different account, telling CNN Turk that around 3,100 people had died, including roughly 2,000 security personnel.
Claims of Foreign Interference
Pezeshkian accused US, Israeli and European leaders of deliberately stirring tensions and drawing “innocent people” into the protests.
“They sought to provoke unrest, create divisions and exploit our internal challenges,” he said, adding that the demonstrations went beyond social grievances and were part of a broader attempt to destabilise the country.
He specifically named Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, and European leaders as figures who, he claimed, had capitalised on Iran’s problems to fragment society and incite conflict.
Rising International Tensions
Trump has repeatedly voiced support for Iranian demonstrators and warned that Washington could take action if Iran continued to kill protesters. US officials said on Friday that Trump was reviewing his options but had not yet decided whether to launch military strikes against Iran.
Adding to regional tensions, Israel’s Ynet news website reported that a US Navy destroyer had docked at the port of Eilat on Friday.
Diplomacy and Stalled Talks
Regional powers, including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have stepped up diplomatic efforts in recent weeks to prevent a military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
The United States has demanded that Iran limit its missile programme as a condition for resuming negotiations, a demand Tehran has firmly rejected. Araqchi reiterated during a visit to Turkey earlier this week that Iran’s missile capabilities would never be open for negotiation.