Khaberni - Iranian President Masoud Bzshkiyan accused US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of instigating recent events (Iranian protests), noting that the "enemies of the country" have closed all paths and are preventing deals from being accomplished, he said.
Tasnim Agency reported that Bzshkiyan said - last Thursday during a meeting with a group of intellectuals, political, social, and cultural activists in Golestan province, northern Iran – that the protesting youth in Iran is not responsible for what happened, considering that the shortfall is due to officials failing to provide appropriate education and sufficient job opportunities.
He added that "the enemy and the Zionists exploited the events in the country, contributing to creating problems and fueling them".
Bzshkiyan called on citizens to work on healing the "wounds" after the bloody disturbances that the country witnessed, saying "they were bitter wounds, but they must be bandaged and not deepened to the point of infection".
He explained that it is now necessary to look forward and reconcile, rather than continuing to argue and leave the country "to foreign enemies".
According to official statistics, more than 3000 died in the violence between late December and early January, while the Human Rights Activists News Agency - based in the United States - estimated the death toll at more than 7000, in its latest reports.
A wave of widespread protests broke out in Iran at the end of last year, against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in economic and living conditions, particularly the collapse of the local currency and rising rates of inflation and unemployment.
This comes at a time when tensions are escalating between Tehran and Washington, following the arrival of an American aircraft carrier and accompanying warships to the region, after repeated threats from President Trump of intervention because of the bloody repression of protests in Iran.
Trump's Statements
Trump said - in his latest statements about Iran last Thursday after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - that he aims to "reach an agreement with Iran, otherwise it will be shocked and face a difficult situation", making it clear that "an agreement can be reached with Iran next month, and it should happen quickly".
The American President added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - whom he met at the White House on Wednesday - "understands our position" regarding negotiating with Iran, and that he had a "good meeting" with him.
Last Friday, Trump described the first round of his country's indirect negotiations with Iran in Muscat as "very good", indicating that Tehran strongly demonstrated its desire to conclude a new deal, and that the parties plan to meet again next week.
Tehran believes that the American administration and Israel are inventing pretexts for military intervention and regime change in it, and threatens to respond to any military attack even if it is limited, and insists on lifting the Western economic sanctions imposed on it in exchange for restricting its nuclear program.
